A New World to be Saved
by Mallador9000
Summary: Fujimaru Ritsuka never expected that her life would end at the tender age of 21, nor would she expect the chance to live in another world. Armed with her newfound abilities, she finds herself as a part of the Gremory family as their third child, entrusted with the task to save this new world by Zelretch and Alaya. Features some elements from Lostbelts.
1. FGO: True End

**Just a new story I thought up**

**Highschool is now harder than ever before so I don't have the time or mentality to write something I see as standard in a short time, at least not yet.**

**This is actually part 1 of the template for possible future FGO crossovers. **

**Fem Ritsuka. Sort of OC Ritsuka, Shirou/Rin daughter origin. It actually adds some backstory to the character instead of her just being a nobody from somewhere random**

Fujimaru Ritsuka was the best master in all human history. This was a fact unable to be disputed by anyone in the world.

Leading a group of five hundred servants, she had completely defeated the enemies of humanity who had threatened to destroy the world.

Moreover, the nineteen-year-old woman did this twice.

Ritsuka defeated Solomon and the seven masters who came after him, each plotting to enact their own nefarious schemes upon the planet.

Granted, she was never without her servants, but the girl was always on the battlefield right next to them, fighting not in the way of a superior, but a trusted companion.

This, and her godlike charisma, able to ensnare the hearts of even the likes of Gilles and Angra Mainu, ensured that Ritsuka was respected by all of her servants, even arrogant kings like Gilgamesh and Ozymandias.

Now, with all the Lostbelts completed and the enemy masters defeated, it was time to go back to the present and allow her servants to return to the Throne of Heroes.

They were going to hold another party, just like the one they had after the defeat of Solomon.

The first time was heartbreaking enough. Ritsuka really didn't want to go through it again. She still remembered the pain from back then, and reliving it was just going to be too much.

The servants were her family, and losing them was losing the world to her. Ritsuka may have saved humanity, but in the end, the people she cherished would be gone forever.

At the party, all the girl could do was try to hide in a corner and try not to cry. She had tried the last time, really tried. She had held back her tears and watched the people she loved disappear with a fake smile on her face. Ritsuka wondered if she still had the capability to do so again.

Seeing her distress amongst the boisterous party of drunken servants, Ishtar immediately adopted a serious expression, approaching her master with sudden haste.

Wordlessly dragging Ritsuka into a hallway despite her protests, Ishtar's face became motherly, looking into the girl's eyes with maternal compassion.

It took Ritsuka two seconds to realize that Ishtar was not in her normal haughty state right now.

"Mom?"

She asked this weakly, as the scantily-clad goddess embraced her with a warm hug unlike any of her usual ones.

Ishtar and Tohsaka Rin's personalities had mixed into a single being, so Ritsuka's hopeful wish was declined by reality. However, that did not mean that Rin was gone.

"Yes, Ritsuka. Yes, and no. I told you before, didn't I? No matter how much I may try to act like Ishtar is the dominant part of this body, the reality is that Tohsaka Rin's personality takes up 40% of it."

She would never admit it to anyone who wasn't her beloved master, but Ishtar wasn't exactly Ishtar anymore. As the personalities of her and her host blended, it resulted in the creation of someone much kinder than the Sumerian goddess, so much so that multiple versions of Gilgamesh had reevaluated his opinions on her. Even Enkidu, who hated her guts with all his being, eventually ceased his vicious remarks and teasing as he saw that the woman he had scorned so much had changed.

"Ritsuka, listen here, a goddess is talking, so don't interrupt."

The girl nodded, a faint trace of tears in her eyes, causing Ishtar's expression to soften, Rin's inner mother showing itself.

"While I can't approve of some of the more stupid and outrageous things you have done, I'm still proud of you for doing them."

The goddess winced.

"Still though, the sheer amount of people in your harem… I wonder if your father's genes mutated or something…"

Sighing, Ishtar shook her head became serious once more, staring Ritsuka in the eyes while clutching her shoulders.

"The point is, Ritsuka, I love you. that mangy, cynical, and all-around jerk of an Archer loves you, and despite your many acts of idiocy, every single last one of your servants loves you. Even when we return to the Throne, we will still watch over you, so don't fret."

Ishtar hugged her host's daughter, softly whispering in her ear.

"Your servants will never forget you, no matter what may happen. No matter what our bodies and souls are subjected to, the Master called Fujimaru Ritsuka has imprinted herself into all of our hearts, and it will never go away. So don't be sad. This isn't truly a goodbye."

Detaching herself from Ritsuka, Ishtar smiled, less serious than before.

"Besides, you still have to take care of that kouhai of yours, don't you? At the end of the day, there'll still be someone to warm your bed at night."

This statement was followed by a wink, courtesy of Ishtar's inner love goddess. A part of her seemed to want to commit suicide after saying that.

Still, even this comedic act could do nothing to brighten the master's mood, nothing short of the preservation of her servants being able to do such a thing.

The goddess almost froze when Ritsuka reached out and tugged on her arm, a sad, but resigned smile on her face. Her smile fading, Ishtar realized that she could do nothing more for her host's daughter.

With a shallow smile, the master softly said,

"Thanks, Ishtar. I feel better now."

Ishtar hugged her again, attempting to convey all of the warm emotions in her heart to her most beloved person in the world, the goddess's heart, shattering as she accepted the fact that nothing could be done about the situation. Fujimaru Ritsuka was a person who loved her servants with her mind, body, and soul. There would be absolutely nothing anyone could do to brighten the girl's mood when those same servants are taken away.

Ishtar sighed, resigned. With a heavy heart and a sorrowful smile, the goddess put a hand on her master's shoulder.

"_Just who will take care of her when we're gone?"_

"I know this is sad, Ritsuka, but let's just enjoy everything before it ends, ok?"

With that, the goddess Ishtar left, not wishing to stay a moment further. Her continued presence could only bring about more pain at the moment.

As Ritsuka walked back into the main room where the party was held, her hollow eyes filled with frustration for a millisecond before returning to normal.

"_You'll always be watching over me? Ishtar, I'm not stupid. That damned Alien God completely erased all records of me from the Throne of Heroes. Even if you go back, all of your memories will be stripped away and tossed aside…"_

Ritsuka held back all the negative emotions in her heart. This was supposed to be a celebration, not a funeral.

A single tear dripped from her left eye.

"_It's been a fun journey. We've saved the world two times over. Sure, there's been a lot of risks, but in the end, it was all worth it. Every single moment of that time is precious to me, more than anything else, and I wouldn't take back a second of it. Still… I wish that they can stay longer. Maybe if I just stretched the singularities longer... "_

Ritsuka held back a sob as her thoughts induced more despair in her mind.

"_Why did I even save the world in the first place? To save everyone? Don't joke with me! Because I saved everyone in this world, the people most precious to me are about to die! Even if they can accept it, I can't!"_

The master looked downwards, eyes ominously hidden by her shoulder-length hair.

"_Maybe I shouldn't have saved the world after all. What's even left for me after this?"_

Just after Ritsuka had those thoughts, her servants turned to her, sensing her emotional turmoil. Even the drunkards stopped in their tracks, smiling warmly to their depressed master.

Surprisingly, it was Angra Mainu who spoke first, dragging his pain-raddled body forward to speak to his master face to face.

He was the hardest servant for Ritsuka to befriend, but after she shared in his pain for a few days, a healthy relationship was born between them.

"Come on, Master. Join us for the party. It won't be the same without you."

These uncharismatic words from the broken man carried a whole other meaning entirely, clearly understood by Ritsuka. His eyes said it all.

"_From the start, we were just a means to an end, and we're fine with that. This time we have spent with you, none of us would ever want to change it. So don't be sad, Master. Live your life the best you can after we go, if not for yourself, then for us."_

Those eyes seemed so sincere, so loving. The master supposed it was because of Mainu's genuine concern for her. After all, she was the only person he could truly call a friend.

Ritsuka adopted another forced smile. No matter what they said, they were her family, and her family would be gone this day. Gone, scattered to the winds, never to return.

"_Gone! Gone! Gone! Gone! GONE! ALL BECAUSE SOMEONE COULDN'T CONTROL THEIR OWN DAMNED HERO COMPLEX!"_

The girl knew she was being unfair to herself. She knew that she would have saved this world no matter what. That was just who she was. Still, her rampaging emotions refused to allow her to believe this.

Swallowing the massive lump in her throat, Ritsuka wiped the pain-induced tears off her cheeks. Shoving away the self-loathing she knew to be unjustified into the deepest pits of her soul, the girl attempted to distract herself from her inner thoughts by participating in the party. She did wish for her servants to see her miserable in their last day on this earth.

Therefore, putting on the most difficult fake grin she had ever created, Fujimaru Ritsuka leaped onto a table, hand raised to the air as if she was attempting to command a contingent of soldiers.

"Alright! Normally I don't drink, but today I'll make an exception! Gil! Give me the best wine you have in your treasury!"

The Archer, noticing the barely-hidden despair in his master's eyes, could only put up a bitter smile, taking out an exquisite jar of wine from his storage and pouring it into a master-crafted porcelain cup. This was the least the king could do for the master who had proven herself to him. Whether it is the past, present, or future, there would never be anyone quite like Fujimaru Ritsuka ever again. Saying farewell to this brilliant master of his would be more difficult than his battle against the bull of heaven.

Crushing her dark thoughts underfoot, Fujimaru Ritsuka took the goblet in her hand and chugged the wine contained within it, giving an extra satisfied sigh at the end. This was the last time she would be able to drink it after all.

Partying with her servants for the rest of the night, the Master's despairing thoughts did not fade. Instead, they were only made stronger over time, threatening to burst from the feeble dam Ritsuka had erected in her mind.

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They were gone.

Artoria, Gilgamesh, Karna, Jeanne, Sitonai, Parvati, Heracles, Medea, Jalter, Cu, Emiya, Ishtar, Ereshkigal…

They were all gone, every last one, departing to the Throne of Heros leaving a trace behind.

The once boisterous Chaldea which used to be filled with servants was now a deserted wasteland, as the employees all packed their things and went back to their homes to visit family and friends. Understandable for people in their situation.

However, who was there for Ritsuka to return to?

The kind mother and father who had raised her were killed long ago, their bodies buried in the ground.

Despite the girl's feats, no one outside of the moonlit world knew of her as more than a high-school student, and the mages who were aware of her existence viewed Ritsuka to be more of a threat than a savior.

Sitting by herself in the summoning room, Ritsuka stared forward reminiscing, her mind remembering each and every servant she had ever met.

This was a place of first meetings, sacred to the Master's heart.

"_I ask of you. Are you my Master?"_

"_Servant Archer. I answer to your summon."_

"_Yo, Servant Lancer has answered your summon. Well, let's try to have fun Master."_

"_Fufuhahahahaha! Being able to summon me means that you've used up all of your luck, mongrel."_

"_I am the Demon Archer Nobunaga, the Demon king of the Sixth Heaven! Very well... I will allow you to be my Master!"_

"_Assassin-class Servant. I heard your call from the shadows."_

"_Assassin - Jack the Ripper. Please take care of me, Mommy."_

Tears fell out of Ritsuka's eyes as she remembered everyone she summoned, shouldering the fact that she would never see them again.

Soon, stray tears devolved into soft sobbing, which devolved further into utter despair.

"Why? Why? Why do I feel this way?! We saved the world, didn't we?! The job is done, isn't it?! Everything should be back to normal! Back to being…"

These words merely represented Ritsuka letting out her emotions, as she had already realized that her definition of "normal" changed as soon as she stepped into the halls of Chaldea.

"Normal", was learning from Chiron. "normal" was playing with Jack. "normal" was the act of doing anything with her servants, leaving behind fond memories to be remembered.

Ritsuka would never experience her "normal" ever again.

The master would continue her sobbing for several more minutes, sitting on the cold floor with her back to the wall, mourning the loss of her friends.

What else was there to do once a heart had been broken?

Then, as if ordained by heaven, the girl's saving grace appeared in that moment, having finally found the one she was looking for.

Mash approached Ritsuka, walking into the room silently, eyes obscured by her light pink hair and glasses.

As the artificially-created human stepped towards her former master, she softly spoke to Ritsuka, warmly embracing her.

"It's ok, Senpai. You don't have to hide anything anymore."

Whispering gently in her senpai's ear, the girl revealed Ritsuka's hidden emotions in an instant.

"You were holding it in in order to not make them sad, right? It's fine now Senpai. You can cry now."

Seeing the warm, understanding smile on Mash's face, Ritsuka's lips quivered as her entire body began shaking. Truly, this kouhai was just too good for her.

Finally, the pain and sorrow barely restrained inside of her mind could not be held back any longer. The dam finally burst. A human could only hold on for so long before breaking after all, and in the presence of someone like Mash, someone where she could share everything with, the walls around her heart became little more than glass.

Embracing Mash with all her strength, Ritsuka cried her heart out.

There was nothing restrained, every emotion of anger and sorrow seeping out of the girl in the only way humans knew how to get rid of them.

The sound of sorrowful bawling echoed across the rooms, traveling across the empty halls of Chaldea until it was rendered obsolete. No one except for the former shielder heard them, and that was exactly what she had intended.

Influenced by Ritsuka's pained bawling, Mash couldn't stop the hot tears from trailing down her cheeks. Nor could she stop the sorrowful sobs which escaped her lips.

Fujimaru Ritsuka was not the only one to lose all of her friends in the blink of an eye. Everyone in Chaldea had a somewhat close relationship with the servants they worked with. They had to be when there were five hundred of the heroic spirits running around the place.

Therefore, everyone lost a friend, a comrade, a new part of themselves that they didn't know they needed.

The pain was dulled by the fact that the servants merely returned to where they came from, having seen this coming from the very start. Their disappearance was supposed to be an occurrence that brought relief, as it meant that the world was safe from destruction.

Even so, some could not accept it, as they valued emotions over logic. Ritsuka was part of those select few.

Mash, attempting to put up a stoic front with much more success than Ritsuka, found the wall she had erected around her heart falling as well.

She had also lost friends, mentors, and valued comrades. Seeing Ritsuka in such a state was the final straw that broke the camel's back. The pain was simply overwhelming, but Mash knew she could let it out if her senpai was here.

The image of a kindly smiling Lancelot suddenly appeared in her thoughts, as the tender and familial emotions of Galahad had not disappeared even after he did.

Mash had lost two fathers. First, it was Dr. Roman, who sacrificed himself at the Temple of Time. Second, it was the Knight of the Lake, who cared for her as if she was his own daughter, which was somewhat true in a sense.

The girl was arguably in a worse state than Ritsuka at the moment. From the start, Mash's mental fortitude was not as strong as her master's, and the fact that she wouldn't live for more than a few more years merely added to the emotional turmoil.

It was only the presence of Ritsuka that allowed Mash to actually function as a normal human being at the moment. If that support was lost, then there was no telling what would happen.

The master and shielder cried together, shedding all of the tears in their eyes for their former comrades. Lending each other bodies for support, the two girls, intertwined by a bond thicker than blood, found mutual relief in their actions.

However, no amount of crying would be enough.

It would never be enough, not to fill up the newly formed holes in their hearts.

They had each other for support, even when the rest of their friends were gone, their old partnership was never forgotten.

That would have to suffice, as there was no other alternative. No matter how unfair it was, no matter how cruel it was, there was simply no way to bring their loved ones back. As two humans living on the planet called Earth, that answer was the only one. Sooner or later, Ritsuka and Mash would have to accept their loss the same way as any other person.

They would have to move on.

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Lord El-Melloi II, known as Waver Velvet by his close students, was in his office, smoking a cigarette.

His hands folded beneath him, the man grit his teeth in frustration as he attempted to think of a way to secure a normal life for his pupil and former master. That was going to be extremly difficult. Ritsuka and Mash had been living with him for a month now, but he could not afford to harbor the two for much longer.

Ritsuka was someone who had access to the Tohsaka crest, a magic crest that was passed down from the famous Tohsaka family.

As the former master was not like the magi from the clocktower, probably wanting to live a normal life after the Grand Order, she would not be put under protection by the Mage's Association or the Church. In other words, Ritsuka would be a perfect target for many magi who would want to steal her crest. There were many desperate men and women out there. Mages were desperate for the Root, willing to do anything to get to it.

Waver had seen many examples of this for himself.

It was not very good for his sanity.

Waver was designated to be Ritsuka's teacher within Chaldea, taking on the spirit of Zhuge Liang as a vessel. In that time, he had bonded with the master, utterly ensnared by the sheer amount of charisma she seemed to possess. However, even before that, he had met with the girl when she was little, hands held by each parent. They were also his students after all.

It would not be a stretch to say that Waver Velvet loved Fujimaru Ritsuka like his own daughter.

Therefore, with all of his knowledge of Ritsuka, he was able to deduce that if the girl were to go into the outside world, then she would surely perish.

Sure, the people who supported her made everyone second-guess any assassination attempts. However, there would not be just one magus sent to kill her. No, magi are not creatures that are easily discouraged by the notion of death.

They walked closer with the age-old concept than everyone else. Every spell had the potential to explode in a magus's face, their life ending in the smallest of accidents. Magecraft was the creation and application of extremly precise formulas, not simply waving a wand around and summoning gigantic fireballs. No, the people who could do such things perished with the Age of Gods.

Therefore, no matter how many of them were killed, the magi would never be discouraged, always after the life of the Tohsaka heir, even if the chances of their deaths were high.

Eventually, her guard would slip. Eventually, some lucky fool would be able to kill her. Even if they weren't, living a life where you are constantly hunted down was not pleasant in the least.

Normally, the magi would simply leave Ritsuka alone to develop her magecraft, allowing the girl to safely pass it on to any possible descendants after improving upon the Tohsaka crest.

However, everyone who met Ritsuka knew that she did not have the intention or power to do so.

The girl did not have the heart and mind of a mage, preferring to spend quality time with her friends instead of doing what she called "crummy research that only leads to a stupid root that drives you insane".

But that was not all. That strange birth defect which gave her only a few low-quality magic circuits at birth had somehow spread to the Tohsaka crest, greatly decreasing its effectiveness. Ritsuka was essentially just a normal human now, with only a small reservoir of prana.

So what was that girl doing? She did not have the time to be sad. People would start trying to kill her soon.

Waver crushed his cigarette in his hand unconsciously, the burnt tip falling onto his desk and setting a piece of paper on fire.

Slamming his reinforced fist onto the desk, the Clocktower Lord emptied his frustrations onto the flame on his desk, putting it out in the second punch, somehow.

He could emphasize with Ritsuka, however.

This was, of course, understandable. He had lost Iskandar twice after all.

"_Tsk, I shouldn't be thinking about that. Get back on track Waver, it's not like you have an infinite amount of time to come up with an idea."_

The problem with Fujimaru Ritsuka was that she had no plans to further her magecraft, which any self-respecting magus would not be able to accept. It was simple to tell that she had no intrest.

Normally, Waver would wholeheartedly support such a decision, as the world of magi was not suited for someone as caring as Ritsuka.

However, considering that the girl possessed the Tohsaka crest, no one would be quiet about it if she wasted an entire generation not advancing it. Therefore, many magi would attempt to take it.

Now, Waver had to find a way to protect Ritsuka, as to not let her live a life of constantly being hunted down.

One solution would be having her become a student in the Clocktower. That would just about solve all the problems present, as the protection granted by the Mage's Association was nothing to scoff at. Also, there would be a lot fewer magi after Ritsuka if she were to improve her craft.

While the solution was sound, it would be hard to convince Ritsuka to accept it. After all, she wanted to live a life surrounded by friends and family. Being a mage was the ideal way to not do that.

Sighing, the teacher could only take another puff of his cigarette. This matter was almost completely out of his hands. If Ritsuka would not take his offer of being a student, then there would be nothing he can do.

In the exact second El-Melloi II had that thought, a soft knocking came from the dark wood door to his office.

"Sensei, can I come in? I have something to talk to you about."

Waver took the cigarette out of his mouth.

"_Speak of the devil."_

Waving his hand in a welcoming manner, the man called out.

"Come in."

Taking this as a welcome, Fujimaru Ritsuka stepped into the room, a light blush on her face.

Her hands seemed to be fidgeting with something. It seemed like a long rolled-up sheet of paper, the kind used to make blueprints.

Waver raised an eyebrow.

"What is it, Ritsuka?"

The teacher was slightly amused. He hadn't seen his pupil like this in a long time, and after the loss of her servants, he doubted that this side of hers would ever appear again.

Waver had never been so glad to be wrong.

Taking a large sigh, Ritsuka seemed to let go of any hesitation and trepidation she may have had, piling together her determination for a single action.

"Sensei. I'm just going to get straight to the point."

Waver raised an eyebrow at this. It was not every day that Ritsuka was so determined. It was like she had found enlightenment and wished to turn her life around.

"I want to move on."

Ritsuka said this in a much quieter voice, in a way that suggested that even getting the words out was painful.

The teacher furrowed his brows, although not in an unhappy way.

It had been a whole month since the servants left, so Waver was glad something like this finally happened.

However, he was not stupid enough to think that a mere thirty days would allow the former master to conquer her trauma. Sure, she had undergone great physical and psychological torture in that wretched space-time distortion and escaped with most of her sanity. Sure, she had lost her parents at a young age, having had to kill many to survive in that same year.

Even so, losing almost five hundred of her friends in an instant? That was not something anyone could easily handle.

"Are you serious about that? Don't tell me that this is just some fake ploy to make yourself feel better. Toughing it out will just bring problems in the long run."

These were harsh words, Waver knew that. However, they conveyed a large amount of care for Ritsuka.

If what the girl was doing turned out to be nothing more than the creation of an emotional mask, then there was no point. When that mask breaks, so would she.

Ritsuka smiled warmly, her mood brightened by her teacher's concern. She seemed to have immediately quashed down some of her inner despair, but the sheer speed she utilized to neutralize those emotions meant that the girl was definitely not as despondent as before.

"Nope! Definitely not! I know what you're thinking, but don't worry about it. They wouldn't want me to be sad over them, so I'll do best to follow the instructions my servants would give me if they were still here."

Waver was about to respond, but stopped immediately when Ritsuka shoved the rolled up piece of paper on her face into his face, opening it.

As the teacher's eyes widened in surprise, his pupil smiled cheekily at him.

"If you don't believe me, then this should prove it, right?"

Leaning back into his chair, the now relieved Waver allowed his face to form a light, gentle smile, the kind he had frequently put on in his younger days. All thoughts of doubt evaporated in an instant as the teacher combed his hair with a gloved hand, smiling contently as he leaned on the back of his chair.

Yes, there were issues with Ritsuka's current situation. Yes, it would not be safe for her in the long run

However, seeing the blueprint the girl showed him, it was his duty as her friend to aid her in creating the object described. After all, it was something extremly important to Ritsuka. Something that she would treasure for the rest of her life.

"_Mash, you are truly a lucky woman."_

Thinking this, Waver almost leaped from his seat with the eagerness he thought he had lost a long time ago.

Pushing back his hair with a gloved hand, the Clock Tower professor made an expression halfway between a grin and a smirk.

"When do we start?"

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"_It had been two months already, huh…"_

A beautiful girl with light purple hair sighed from her balcony, nostalgically admiring the risen moon from afar.

Adjusting her glasses, the girl barely held in a bitter chuckle.

"_It doesn't even feel as if a day has passed. The pain's just as fresh as ever. Lancelot, Artoria-san, everyone. They're all gone."_

Mash sighed again. These same thoughts ran through her mind many times now.

"_Don't be like this Mash. Senpai loved them even more than you, and she's trying her best to move on. You can't stay weak any longer."_

The former demi-servant turned away from the moon, facing her own inner darkness. A part of Mash seemed to be screaming at herself.

"_Nothing will change even if you cannot accept the results! The only choice in this situation is to move forward! Do you want to become nothing more than a liability to Senpai?!"_

The girl called out with solid words, desperate to prove her inner self wrong.

"No! You're wrong! I would neve-"

Mash caught herself, holding her face in her hands.

"_What am I doing? There's no denying it now. I definitely need to-"_

During Mash's moment of self-inspiration, the oak door of the balcony suddenly emitted a soft creak, signaling the arrival of another person. A worried voice resounded from the entrance.

"Mash, are you alright? I heard you talking to yourself."

Blushing greatly, the violet-haired girl turned to the person she loved the most in this life.

"N-nothing, Senpai! I was just… just…"

Ritsuka's expression turned serious, but understanding.

"You were thinking about them, weren't you?"

Mash seemed to deflate.

"I-I wasn't trying to hide it or anything…"

Her face instinctively turned to the floor, her shyness showing.

Suddenly, the girl felt a warm finger on her chin.

Ritsuka softly lifted up Mash's face to face hers, compassionate orange orbs peering into violet jewels.

The lustrous beauty of the moon simply added to the beauty of the scene, the two lovers staring into each other's eyes under the celestial sphere.

Ritsuka spoke softly, her expression loving, but stern.

"Stop this. They wouldn't want us to spend so much time mourning. Lancelot and Roman wouldn't want you to sulk so much, not for their sake."

As Mash looked upon Ritsuka's beautiful smile in that instant, she fell in love all over again. However, the barely-hidden pain upon the girl's face was as clear as day to someone who knew her so long.

The former master drew back, shoving her hands in her pockets, almost as if she was about to take something out.

Mash simply looked down once more, just as depressed as before.

"Senpai, you're not over it either… You loved them more than I did, so you must be hurting even more…"

Indeed, it took only a glance for the girl to realize that Ritsuka had indeed not recovered. With how much she loved her servants, it was likely that she would never truly heal.

It just showed how much stronger Ritsuka was when compared to her.

Suddenly, Mash reevaluated herself, realizing an important fact.

"_Even though senpai is hurting so much more, even when it feels like her heart is breaking apart, she still keeps moving forward… What am I doing? She's right, Dr. Roman and Lancelot wouldn't want me to be like this…"_

Just as Mash was about to find her courage and get over her despair, a sudden blush appeared on Ritsuka's face as she scratched the back of her neck nervously.

For some reason, Ritsuka began to fidget with her fingers, her voice suddenly nervous.

Mash frowned. Her senpai had not been like this for a long time now. What could have possibly have reduced her to such a state of mind?

With the "deaths" of her servants, Ritsuka had not made any expression resembling the one on her face in a month, therefore, something good must have happened, right?

However, the statement the girl was about to make more than justified her reaction.

Looking downcast, Ritsuka's voice became a mere whisper, almost jittery.

"It's true that I'm still not over it. I don't know that if I'll ever be over it. But, they would definitely want me to be happy, so there's no real choice. I have to live the best I can, even if it's for the people we lost."

Ritsuka's expression became more determined, the girl stepping forward in an instant, closing the distance between her and her kouhai.

Mash's breathing stopped.

The former master's orange hair and eyes were softly illuminated by the lustrous light of the moon, taking on a beautiful sheen. The nervous smile on her face possessed the radiance of a sun, the aura emitted by those gentle bronze eyes embracing Mash in a shroud of warmth.

Ritsuka's smile widened. The girl had made up her mind about what she was about to do. She wasn't the only person whose beauty was greatly enhanced by the moonlight, her kouhai's pristine form solidifying her decision in an instant.

Confronted by the gentle form of the artificial human, Ritsuka's resolve peaked.

"Mash…"

The former shielder gulped. It looked like Ritsuka would make a serious statement. What would she say?

Ritsuka could almost see the images of her fallen friends and lovers, pushing her forward despite any insecurities the girl possessed. The smiling faces of her servants came to mind as the master slowly drew the object she was holding behind her back.

"I've been wanting to ask you since Solomon, but I never had the courage to."

She paused, her hands tightening.

"But I won't falter this time, not when the people we love are pushing me forward."

Mash was nervous now. Just what could Ritsuka ask that made her so serious? Hopefully, it wouldn't be anything bad.

The former master drew a black case from behind her back, a small oak container that contained a shining object within.

Mash, realizing what the container was, froze in shock.

Ritsuka suddenly knelt on one knee, shoving the container forward, snapping back the top to reveal the treasure underneath.

A master-crafted ring seemed to glow as its purple and yellow form radiated intense amounts of magical wisdom, almost as if it were made from knowledge itself.

Two serpentine streaks were engraved onto the object, decorating the ring in a calculated and elegant manner.

One pattern showed a beautiful and elegant stream of blue metal, hints of orange and green in certain parts. When looking upon it, one would feel as if they were observing a beautiful aurora with their most cherished ones.

The other streak, while not as vibrant, was just as brilliant all the same. It was as if the creator of the ring had wanted to put an emphasis on contrast.

A majestic pattern of golden ivory, the hard-earned trophy won from a feral bicorn seemed to radiate fighting spirit as if its master was still here, ready to fight once more.

Finally, the feature stone, seeming to automatically place itself at the center of the work of art, took the position as the ring's most important component. Its crystalline body shone in the gentle moonlight, glistening like the most beautiful of all treasures. The saint quartz's rainbow majesty was something many would not be able to witness in many lifetimes. Had the material been known of throughout the world of magi, then a mere half-pound of it would cost an entire fortune.

Carved in the shape of a perfect circle, a separate, yet connected cross-like pattern was above the initial body, covering most of it. Needless to say, the feature stone was carved in the likeliness of the Round Table, a shield proven to be Mash's constant companion time and time again.

The precious materials seemed to resonate with each other all at once, emitting an aura showing a kaleidoscope of colors. This served to draw Mash's eyes to its center, where she could appreciate just how much effort had gone into the object's creation, and just exactly what it symbolized.

Ritsuka's cheeks flushed as she looked away for a brief moment, immediately turning her head towards Mash after the brief moment of weakness. She stared into the girl's violet eyes, resolve oozing from her own bronze ones.

"Since I've shown you this, you should know just what I'm asking, no?"

Mash, having realized just what was happening at this moment, felt the presence of warm liquid flowing down her now-flushed cheeks, an intense feeling of joy threatening to erupt from the girl's heart and swallow her whole.

Ritsuka smiled, her eyes glistening as if she were looking upon the most beautiful thing in the world, a loud declaration flowing out of the girl's lips as she softly grabbed Mash's left hand with her own, placing it before her kneeling form.

"Honestly, after everything that happened in our journeys, I'm surprised I didn't do this sooner."

The girl chuckled, humored by her past self.

"It's funny really. I charged directly at Goetia like it's nothing, took stabs to the heart without flinching, and chopped off my own limbs the same way that someone would rip off band-aids. But even when I did crazy stuff like that, I could never actually find the courage to do the thing most important to me."

Ritsuka's face hardened.

"I can't put it off any longer. Losing all of my servants made me realize that there were still things I was never able to tell them, feelings I never had the chance to share."

A nostalgic smile blossomed on the girl's face as her eyes glistened with tears.

"I wanted to tell Mom and Dad how glad I was to see them again, even if they weren't the exact same as before. I wanted to tell Scheherazade to be more confident, and that I would always love her stories. I wanted to tell Kuro to stop her little kissing rampages, or someone would do something nasty sooner or later…"

A sob that Ritsuka could simply not hold back escaped her throat as she gazed upon the moon, reliving all the fun and endearing memories back at Chaldea. The girl's voice began to crack and strain as all of the fond images reemerged in her brain.

Mash had almost forgotten about the ring, extending a hand forward to embrace her former master, only to stop as she realized that the girl needed to get this off her chest with her own power. She knew her own senpai this much at least.

Ritsuka's tears fell freely from her face, making soft pitter-patter sounds on the polished wooden balcony, her voice becoming more emotional, breaking, as it could not withstand the strain forced upon it.

"A-and… And I… I just… I just wanted to tell all of them that I loved them! And that I would never forget them no matter how many years passed! I wanted to tell them that I would take their memories and lessons with me to the end of my life! I wanted to thank them one last time for the things they've done for me!"

After pausing to calm herself for a few seconds, Ritsuka's voice became focused once more, her gaze returning to Mash. She was calm now, the sheer amount of resolve in her eyes threatening to escalate into a neverending inferno.

"In the end, I wasn't able to tell them any of that. Sure, I'm sure that everyone knew what I was going to say at the very end. We all knew each other on that level."

Ritsuka inhaled sharply, gathering her breath.

"Still, I'll regret not telling them all of that till the end of my days. I won't make that kind of mistake again. Even if the regret of my negligence will stay with me forever, I can at least get just one thing right at this moment."

The girl's eyes softened as her voice lowered, becoming serene once more.

Mash's eyes left the ring, focusing on Ritsuka completely.

Those bronze eyes never looked more beautiful, further enhanced by the dazzling smile on those vibrant lips.

Mash could feel all thoughts of doubt and negativity retreat from her mind, leaving only a passionate love for the woman before her.

There was a brief moment of silence, the only sounds present being the fervent pounding of the girls' hearts, and the whistle of the gentle night breeze.

Sensing that the right time has come, Ritsuka's gentle grip on Mash's hand tightened as her eyes filled with overwhelming love.

"Mash Kyrielight…"

The pale girl began to sob as the sheer amount of joy in her heart threatened to crush her entire being once more.

It was as if every single moment of her life only existed to lead her to this point. Every moment of pain, hardship, and cruelty, mere stones paving the path to this moment.

Finally. Mash had finally reached the end of the tunnel, seeing the brilliant light she had sought for so long.

As the girl's heart began to sing with sheer and utter happiness, the gentle breeze intensified, blowing back Ritsuka's luscious orange hair, causing it to sway gently in the wind.

At that moment, the two women stared deep into each other's eyes, their souls intimately connecting with each other. Both partners knew that there were no more secrets between them, no more hiding of their happiness and despair.

It was as if two fragments had combined to make a single object, never to be separated again. Twin shards becoming a single whole, signaling a bond never to be shattered.

As Ritsuka and Mash's love for each other rose to the highest they had ever been and will ever be, the former asked the question both had eagerly been anticipating, loading her whole existence into the words she was about to utter.

Clad in the soft shine of the gentle moon, Ritsuka reached the peak of her life. The most joyous moment in the girl's time on this Earth finally realized.

At that moment, she was more powerful than any god, more determined than any hero, more beautiful than the ever distant stars themselves. Fujimaru Ritsuka stood upon a peak that only she could ever reach, one towering above all the heavens and hells, surpassing the entire universe as a whole.

And thus, the most momentous words in Mash's life were uttered, forever resounding in the girl's soul for all of eternity.

"**Will you marry me?**"

They were seemingly simple words uttered by a seemingly simple individual, a girl who simply loved her family too much.

However, appearances could always be deceiving.

Those words contained all of the emotions Fujimaru Ritsuka had towards Mash, every single fond experience and memory, packaged into a mere five syllables.

For the two women, time itself seemed to still, as everything that had ever happened between them reemerged in their minds at the same time. Two years of love, despair, and joy resurfaced in an instant, causing a sudden influx of tears to leave their eyes.

Mash's body was almost overtaken by happy sobs at that moment. However, strengthening her body, she realized that she needed to give a proper answer, one befitting of the proposal Ritsuka had declared.

And so, a simple reply would be announced, an answer completely and utterly fitting of her.

The girl's face took on the most beautiful smile she had ever worn in her whole life, glistening trails of tears dripping from her pale, rosy cheeks.

The wind blew back her light-purple hair, revealing two dazzling amethyst orbs overflowing with emotion.

Thus, the most joyful words of the artificial human's life were uttered.

"Yes, Senpai."

Like Ritsuka's proposal, the answer was simply two words, devoid of any unnecessary meaning and explanation.

For there was simply nothing more to be explained.

The meaning behind those words could not be fully elaborated on even if someone were to spend a thousand years writing it down. They were only truly understood by Mash, and the beautiful woman kneeling before her.

As Ritsuka's expression became one of utter bliss, something that could only be shown once in a thousand lifetimes, the former demi-servant's expression became the exact same.

There was nothing else to be said between the two individuals. They knew everything about each other, from the greatest joys of their lives, to the darkest secrets lurking deep in the corners of their souls.

Both of the women could have died at this moment, and would have left the world with satisfied smiles on their faces. They had reached the highest point of their lives, and nothing afterward would ever be able to compare to this moment.

"_Doctor Roman… you once said that I would one day find true happiness with someone I love. I had no idea what you're talking at the time, but now… I think I understand."_

As Ritsuka gently slid the wedding ring over her fingers, Mash Kyrielight found herself looking back on her time with her surrogate-father.

"_So this is 'true happiness, huh?"_

She chuckled, causing Ritsuka to grin happily.

"_You were right, just as always. This the happiest feeling I have ever felt."_

And thus, Fujimaru Ritsuka and Mash Kyrielight reached the climaxes of their lives, gazing upon the moon with their heads held high and their arms embracing each other, two lovers, enjoying life on behalf of those who had gone on to the next life before them.

Finally, the true happy ending was actualized. A beautiful end for a beautiful hero. A joyous conclusion for a joyous story.

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_**SO YOU WOULD THINK...**_

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_**But IT'S NEVER THAT EASY…**_

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_**IS IT…?**_

**And… I added something really edgy at the end…**

**Well, I really got into this for some reason.**

**Guess I can say you guys can expect a part two of this template… I think?**


	2. Death of the Final Master

It was cold. Really cold, as if the very sun had been snuffed out, the winter here to claim the world as its bounty.

This was by far the coldest winter in London in the past decade, the temperature dropping to below negative-three celsius.

People stomped away hurriedly on the snowy sidewalks and roads of the city, shivering in the cold, their breaths released in shuddering exhales.

As the unblemished snowflakes fell gently to the ground, elegant and beautiful, one girl amongst the busy streets merely smiled nostalgically, her eyes turned upwards, looking into the sky, almost as if there was some hidden jewel amongst the grey clouds.

As her vibrant orange hair fluttered in the winter breeze, the girl, clad in nothing but a fashionable black business suit, ignored the biting cold as if its chilling effects did not even exist, temperatures enough to cause frostbite shrugged off as if they were nothing but the bites of a lowly ant.

"_Ah… How nostalgic… Ivan… even if the cold's really not of the same intensity, this still reminds me of Russia. I wonder... if the Yaga saw all these people shivering in the cold as if their lives were about to end, what would they call them? Weak? Fragile? Unenduring? Well, it's not wrong. Compared to those tough guys, the humans of this age are like babies, spoonfed by their parents. Although… that's not exactly a bad thing."_

Fujimaru Ritsuka stepped forward, shoving her hands in her pockets, even when they were never cold in the first place.

"_I really wish I could have shown this place to you guys. You especially, Patxi…"_

Shaking her head viciously, Ritsuka shook off these emotions, becoming content with her current situation.

The human order had been reestablished, the Lostbelts destroyed. The Yaga would never be back. There was no changing that.

Ritsuka began to walk forward, back to the humble apartment she lived in with her wife.

Smiling fondly at the sight of the exquisite ring on her finger, the twenty-one-year-old woman remembered the night of her wedding.

She did not have the opportunity to wear her ring out in the open, as its appearance was sure to cause many issues.

However, for this certain occasion, she kept it hidden with an extremely specific rune written on her tailor-made glove.

It was the first anniversary of her wedding after all.

Ritsuka had joined the enforcers of the Clocktower to support her and Mash.

Honestly, Rituska would have rather gone to college than to become a magus after all she had been through. Normalcy was a goa she had finally reached, but not one she could enjoy.

The only job she could take that actually sustained her and Mash's livelihood was the task of an enforcer. Therefore, she became one against her will. Even if she did not like it, such a thing was still necessary. The woman accepted it and came to terms with the fact.

With Ritsuka's lack of magic circuits, a mystic code that transformed bio-electricity into prana allowed the former master to use magecraft to a degree. The salary was surprisingly good, but not as she thought it would be.

There was no problem with that. Fujimaru Ritsuka wasn't the type of person who wanted to be rich.

However, her superiors had ordered her to track down and kill a renegade magus attempting to transform into a Dead Apostle, a kind of target that she did not get very often.

Honestly, magi truly had no tact. Asking someone to work so brazenly on their wedding anniversary was not a very polite thing to do. However, magi would always be magi, uncaring bastards and almost inhuman existences. There was nothing to be done for that.

Ritsuka had hunted down the renegade magi and slaughtered him without complaint. Considering the man had been using the local populace as sacrifices for his experiments, she really had no qualms with it.

Once upon a time, the former master would have opposed such an action, but that time was long past. She was not the same naive girl from back then.

Ritsuka checked her watch, reading the time as 12:30 a.m.

"Damn, that really took too long. I started at seven in the morning too…"

Ritsuka began to tighten her muscles, preparing to jog to her house. After all, she didn't want to keep Mash waiting.

Her mind returned to the time when she converted her own nerves into magic circuits, something that she did not do very often later on.

The girl had begun the process years ago, not knowing exactly what she was doing. She began this process at a young age, something she regretted for years to come.

First, she had done this in a completely accidental way, and it had brought her unimaginable pain, like a hot iron rod being shoved into her body.

However, she had kept doing this over and over again, until the pain was normal to her.

Naturally, when Rin heard of this, she had been reduced to tears, slapping Ritsuka across the face for the first time. Shirou was equally worried, shuddering as he watched his wife confront his daughter.

They knew how painful the process was, and how dangerous it was. Therefore, their reaction was more than justified.

When Rin had shouted at Ritsuka, demanding to know exactly what had influenced her to commit to such a dangerous and painful routine, the girl smiled sadly, as if she knew this was going to happen.

She knew that she was born into a powerful magus family, and her lack of magic circuits was something the girl knew to be abnormal. Therefore, Ritsuka wanted to improve herself to be closer to her parents. Unfortunately, she did this in a less than ideal fashion.

"Papa's always fighting, and Mama's always worried about both of us… So, I thought I could get stronger, so Mama doesn't have to worry as much. Maybe I can even help Papa one day!"

As she said this, the normally unshakeable Tohsaka Rin left the room, sobbing harder than she had done in a whole decade. She was the type of person who wouldn't show weakness even if her limbs were cut off. However, this kind of pain was simply too much for her.

Emiya Shirou stood in place, shell-shocked. He had married Rin all those years ago, but not quite letting go of his dream. Most of the time, he would travel around the world, helping all he could, even when he had a child and wife waiting for him in their house in London.

Both he and Rin decided not to inform their daughter of just how deadly his self-imposed missions were, but it was clearly shown from the constant bloodstains on his body and the exhausted form Shirou possessed when he returned home.

After a thorough scolding, Ritsuka lessened her self-experimentation to a large extent, but she kept going, even when her parents disapproved of it. After all, the protection of her family was worth more than simple physical pain and the possibility of danger.

This was the mindset Fujimaru Ritsuka possessed at the age of four, and it was the same even now.

Ritsuka winced as difficult memories assaulted her from her mental psyche, memories she did not want to experience again.

_A discolored body layed upon the floor of a dilapidated house, drained completely of its blood. Flies flew into the rotten eyes of the former human, worsening even further the already horrific sight._

_A girl stood in front of the door, staring incomprehensibly at the mutilated corpse of her mother, the carcass's shriveled eyes and mouth open in an expression of utter terror._

_At that moment, the world itself seemed to end. _

_The woman's husband had traveled to a foreign land, seeking to save all that he could. That man, while attempting to fulfill his dream, had his life cruelly snuffed out by the very people he strove to save._

_In the end, there was not even a body to bury. Such was the masses' misguided anger._

_The widowed woman, who had attempted to raise her child all alone, was now deceased, not even a month after the death of her husband. _

Ritsuka bit her upper lip to the point where it bled. This was not the time to be thinking of such things. Noone was able to change what had happened for the better. She had moved on from this a long time ago.

However, there was no true way to move on from such things. This could be seen reflected in her inner world, harboring even her most hidden of sides.

Yes, it could be called her reality marble, Ritsuka's own world. A place where her own thoughts are law.

Even if the world was strange, it was still there. However, the functions… seemed to be… incomplete for a lack of a better term.

Ritsuka was finally able to make use of it during the last and final Lostbelt, as her mentality had changed drastically, resembling the **Alien Common Sense** usually exhibited by Daemons. It was not a natural ability, but something she was forced to adopt by her own enemy, the Alien God.

After the battle, Ritsuka seemed to know more about her servants than before, exhibiting great knowledge of their traits, biology, and weapons from seemingly nowhere.

Granted, this information was incomplete, but it was still strange….

None of this mattered in the current situation.

Ritsuka would probably not have to use her Reality Marble for a long time. After all, she would be on paid leave soon enough.

"_Ah… Where should we go? Mash would probably want to see the resting ground of the Round Table. Hmm… It's a shame, but I wanted to see Fuyuki again… Even if there are a lot of bad memories in that place, it's still where I grew up…"_

Suddenly, Ritsuka stopped thinking of such trivial things, twisting her neck to the right, eyes narrowed.

"_Hoh? What was that surge of magical energy? And the killing intent… I can literatly smell it from here. Can they be more obvious?"_

Turning to the direction of the surge, Ritsuka's form shifted into that of a person ready to run a ten-mile marathon, her body relaxing for a split second before spring forth like a freshly released arrow.

The legs, whether part of human or animal, beast or demon; existed to allow its user to travel with great speed and efficiency, whether to hunt down prey or to escape in the presence of an undefeatable enemy.

Theis propose was exactly the factor taken advantage of by reinforcement magecraft, something Ritsuka was exceptional at.

Legs were transformed into tools of pure momentum and velocity, forcefully breaking past all human limitations via the use of magecraft.

Ritsuka had a good grasp of a human's inner structures and biology from both her own experiences and tutoring from Florence Nightingale. Therefore, it could be said that she was a practitioner of this magecraft.

Of course, most of the prana used for this boost in ability was thanks to her bioelectricity-converting mystic code. It took a toll on her physical form, but it was nothing Ritsuka had not experienced before.

Moving across the streets at a speed surpassing human limits, the girl left nothing behind but a massive gust of wind, greatly confusing nearby bystanders.

Sprinting towards her intended destination, Ritsuka had quickly covered a great deal of the distance by a large margin in just a few seconds.

It seemed to be closeby, so this was not unexpected.

As the former master approached the location of the disturbance, which seemed to be a building resembling an abandoned mansion, her brows furrowed.

Ritsuka had reinforced her eyes and ears to a certain degree in order to mentally keep up with her speed. Therefore, her sense of hearing was greatly amplified.

This lead to the girl being able to perceive the extremly peculiar noises which seemed to be originating from the dark and gloomy manor before her.

The building appeared to be at least a hundred years old, made from dark oak and stone. Rooms unlit, it greatly resembled a haunted house visited by young children, the only difference being that this specific mansion was much worse than a simple ghost could ever hope to make it.

However, what caught Ritsuka's attention the most was the rapid flapping noise that came from it. She could sense them. Hundreds, if not thousands of organisms moving their appendages, completely unsynchronized. It was a messy cacophony of sound, a nightmarish buzzing that promised nothing but despair.

The girl flinched, stopping in place.

"_No. It can't be him. It just can't."_

Perhaps she was overthinking this? _He _wasn't the only one to use bee families after all. Maybe it was someone similar to that annoying bee magus Kiritsugu had to deal with.

"_Please tell me it's not that guy…"_

Suddenly, the shattering of stone could be heard from outside the manor, a plume of dust rising from the window of a specific room.

Ritsuka grit her teeth.

It no longer mattered what she thought about the situation. The conflict inside that building was extremely suspicious at this point. Obviously, two or more magi were fighting. One of them had broken the bounded field obscuring their battle from the outside world.

Even if the mansion was located in an area nowhere near actual society, meaning that there would be no non-magus who would be able to observe the current phenomenon.

However, that did not mean Ritsuka was uninvolved. The sound of those bugs gave her a quite unpleasant premonition. Her instincts were telling her to find whatever manner of creature inhibited that shady house, and eliminate it for good.

Ritsuka's instincts were rarely wrong. After all, they had saved the girl multiple times on her adventures.

Therefore, reinforcing her legs to their limits, the girl leaped up at the glass window leading to the suspicious room.

The pavement she used as a medium to launch herself had been reduced to a meter-long dented hole, and Ritsuka herself seemed to vanish in a blur of blue, a hue given off by the magical energy from her circuits. Her pant legs were drenched red, as the frail blood vessel within them burst thanks to the pressure.

A millisecond after Ritsuka reached the window, she smashed it to bits using her left hand, momentum undeterred by any obstacle.

Raising her hands above her head to push against the high oak ceiling, the girl propelled herself downwards, sending her plummeting down onto the wooden floorboards.

The room seemed to be lit by some sort of strange purple chandelier, illuminated by suspicious discolored candles.

Ritsuka, now fully successful in the execution of her operation, did not praise herself for her success.

Instead, their girl's face twisted into a hateful snarl, a murderous glare radiating from her soft orange eyes towards the _thing _before her.

As Ritsuka's killing intent flared in the likeness of a brilliant flame, the girl spoke with all the disgust she had at her disposal.

"What the hell are you doing here?!"

The girl's hands were in front of her, the magus projecting three sacred black keys in each, appearing in wisps of blue light. Those arms tensed, ready to attack at any moment, black keys gleaming sinisterly in the dull light of the chandelier, soft baleful flames making the blades an ominous sight.

Ritsuka's eyes narrowed as her magic circuits flared up. This would not be an easy fight. After all, the person before her was no simple magus.

He was a three-hundred-year-old monstrosity bent on achieving immortality, a revolting being unable to be killed unless his crest worms are destroyed.

A sadistic monster who cared nothing for the wellbeing of anyone other than himself. A grandfather who scorned his own grandson and tortured his adopted granddaughter in an attempt to make her a "worthy heir". A demon who prolonged his own wretched life through the life force of innocents, his soul rotting away like spoiled meat left on the roadside.

"MAKIRI ZOUKEN!"

In the corner of a poorly lit room, a gleam of interest entered the beady eyes of a wraith, long past his time.

A wretched smile appeared on an equally wretched face, transforming an already putrid visage into an utterly disgusting image.

"**Fujimaru Ritsuka... "**

IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII

Bazett Fraga Mcremitz cursed her own weakness.

She was supposed to be the great descendant of the Fraga family, a powerful enforcer of the Mage's Association. She had almost never lost to any magus before, as she was someone ideal for hunting them down.

With her rune of resurrection and sword of retaliation, Bazett had the potential to kill even servants in the right circumstances.

So, how could something like this possibly happen?

Staring at the demented old man in front of her, surrounded by a wave of his disgusting insects, the woman felt nothing but dread.

Matou Zouken was unlike every Magi Bazett had faced. He was someone who could perfectly counter her punches and kicks without a worry in the world.

After all, his body was made from a multitude of worms, able to evade or regenerate from most attacks.

If Bazett wanted to kill the old man, she would have to exterminate all of his worms.

She wasn't naive enough to think that someone like her would actually be able to defeat such a monster. Even the Ansuz runes she had at her disposal would not be enough to destroy all of Zouken's worms.

Besides, knowing how careful the old man was, his current body surely did not bring with it all of his disgusting familiers.

No, without a doubt, there were many of them hidden away in some dark alleyway, waiting for his consciousness to be transferred to them in the case of a miscalculation.

Bazett grit her teeth as she knelt on one knee, exhausted.

She had no idea how Matou Zouken, who possessed somewhat cordial relations with the Mages' Association could suddenly have a sealing designation placed on his head, and she really didn't care. Bazett would do her job and be done with it.

There was also a suspicious masked executor who came with her, determined to put an end to Zouken's evil. This was done in response to the old man's killings.

Bazett had taken the priest up on his offer to join forces. She was hesitant at first because… well… the first time she trusted a man of the cloth, it didn't go very well.

However, even if this priest felt ominous, it was the best course of action to accept his aid. She would be dealing with the infamous Matou Zouken after all, one of the creators of the Holy Grail. No effort should be spared in the procedures to ensure his death.

In the end, it was a bad idea to bring that shady priest, as he had mysteriously disappeared during the battle.

Now, Bazett knelt before her enemy, almost completely drained of magical energy.

Mocking words were about to exit Zouken's twisted mouth, but he was subsequently interrupted by the arrival of a new variable.

Just as Bazett was about to muster all of her remaining prana to enact a final, futile counterattack, a loud crash could be heard from outside the manor she was in.

The woman watched, wide-eyed, as Fujimaru Ritsuka leaped into the room with nimble movements befitting of an acrobat.

To say she was surprised would be an understatement. Out of all people, Ritsuka was the last one Bazett expected to be here.

After the unfortunate deaths of Tohsaka Rin and Emiya Shirou, in addition to the unresolved mystery of Luvia Edelfelt's assassination, it was up to either Bazett or Sakura to raise her.

Bazett, having lived in Shirou's house for a long period of time, was considered something of a family friend and surrogate mother, so naturally, she considered it her responsibility to raise Ritsuka herself.

Sakura, although the blood relative of Rin, was not in a very stable household, and Matou Shinji and Matou Zouken could not be trusted around a small child, so, unfortunately, she was not an option.

Bazett still remembered the day she first met Ritsuka. The girl's face was completely blank, devoid of emotion. Her dull, orange eyes were completely blank, as if she was a soulless husk. The sight utterly horrified Bazett back then, as the Ritsuka she knew was vibrant, energetic, and overall, a very expressive child.

Seeing her like that… did not do well for Bazett's heart…

Now, seeing the same girl from back then, who had accomplished so much, Bazett could only gasp as a well-trained back was placed in front of her, blocking her from harm.

Inwardly, the woman smiled.

The little girl from back then would have either been terrified or uncaring about the current situation. They were a child back then, after all.

However, the current Ritsuka stood proud and tall, weapons poised and ready to strike at her opponent.

It didn't matter why she was here, or how she arrived. All that mattered… was the simple fact that she was present.

Bazett smirked.

"_If it's Ritsuka, then the situation is under control."_

Bazett was one of the people who knew of Ritsuka's journey through the Lostbelts, as well as the abilities granted to the woman by her reality marble.

Her injuries all but forgotten, Bazett flooded with pride.

"_Go on Ritsuka! Show that man the strength you have achieved!"_

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Ritsuka looked behind her, seeing Bazett for the first time.

She wasn't sure what her former surrogate mother was doing here, and she really had no time to care at the moment. Taking her eyes off of Zouken was already a big enough risk.

Every trace of the girl's mind needed to be focused on how to defeat the monster before her, or else she would surely regret it.

Therefore, talking to Bazett without taking her eyes off of Zouken, Ritsuka successfully communicated with her without too much danger.

"Bazett-nee. Get out of here, I'll handle this."

Thanks to her reinforced senses, Ritsuka felt the air shift as Bazett nodded before getting up into a sprinting form and jumping out of the window. She would only be a liability if she stayed, nothing but a potential hostage for the enemy.

Zouken merely watched, amused at this.

"Int-"

Ritsuka did not give him any more time to speak, launching her black keys at the old man.

Of course, they were blocked by Zouken's crest worms, but this allowed Ritsuka to cover the distance at least a little.

Zouken was about to speak again, but not before Ritsuka pointed her index and middle finger at him in a form akin to a finger gun.

"**Gandr."**

What formed was a massive orb of black energy, surrounded by an aura of malignant red. The orb, created in front of Ritsuka's fingers, seemed to compress itself into a smaller sphere, condensing and condensing until it was no more than the size of a marble.

Ritsuka let the shot fly, aiming directly at Zouken's head.

Instantly, a black bullet, pulsing with red lightning, pierced through Zouken's flying crest worm shield, hitting the old man right between the eyes and embedding itself on the wall behind him before dissipating.

"Wha-"

Ritsuka dashed forward. The old man had not employed any barriers in his hubris, thinking himself immortal. That was a perfect factor to take advantage of.

The Gandr spell was intended to be a curse, not a true attack spell. From the start, it was supposed to inflict curses and decrease the physical wellbeing of the opponent.

Ritsuka's Gandr was barely a Gandr at all. It would be better known as a Finn shot, similar to the ones employed by her mother. A curse so condensed that it could inflict physical damage similar to a bullet.

Of course, this Gandr was an ability given by her mystic code, not a magecraft belong to her. However, it could easily be compared to the real thing.

There was one massive difference between Rin and Ritsuka's Finn shots.

That difference was in power.

Tohsaka Rin used her shots in a way that resembled an SMG. Every shot was medium quality, imbued with a tiny sliver of her prana. They would make up for their lack of speed and power in strength with sheer firing speed, as barrages could be utilized to wear down the enemy.

Ritsuka's Gandr was not like this.

Instead of creating half-hearted, medium damage shots, she poured everything into a singular bullet, condensing it into a small orb for added speed, penetration, and explosive power. Naturally, the power of the curse was much stronger than normal, able to slow a servant down for a fraction of a millisecond.

That fraction of a second was not impressive on paper, but when two servants fight, slowing down a hundredth of a microsecond could be the difference between life and death.

Of course, she could only use this once every five seconds.

If Rin's Gandr was the mage's equivalent of a machine gun, then Ritsuka's Gandr would be a sniper rifle.

In the current situation, As Ritsuka watched her bullet pierced through Zouken's head, she inwardly smirked.

"_The curse definitely got to him from that. I didn't put my all into it, but he's definitely slower now."_

Ritsuka dashed forward on reinforced legs, avoiding the stunned crest worms, her body acting speeding forth like it was a heat-seeking missile.

"_For all the trouble you've given me in my childhood! For all the things you did to aunt Sakura! I will judge you today, monster! This ends now!"_

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Bazett landed on the paved stone road outside the manor, wheezing for breath as the rest of her mana dissipated.

"_I should escape. Ritsuka does not need my help in this situation. After all, there is nothing I can do."_

Therefore, gathering her strength, the woman commanded her failing legs to move, to run back to base and acquire reinforcements if needed.

However, it would seem that Bazett would never have the chance to do such a thing.

After all… she was already…

A bloody cough resounded across the mansion's courtyard, a heady glob of blood smacking onto the stone ground with a morbid noise.

"W-Wha-"

Bazett's eyes dilated as she noticed the Azoth sword which that her heart, going all the way through her body.

"_**There is no need to worry. After all, you will not be able to do anything past this point."**_

Bazett had already used her resurrection rune against Zouken, and this new attacker obviously did not use their strongest attack, meaning that the effects of Fragarach were worthless in this situation.

Turning her head for the last time, the woman finally saw the face of her murderer.

"Kuh! Impossible! How are you… still…"

A wet, sharp noise could be heard as the Azoth sword was slid out of the woman's heart, her lifeless body falling to the ground.

The low-pitched chuckles of a demented entity could be heard throughout the courtyard, as if mocking Bazett for her very existence.

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As Ritsuka dashed towards the temporarily stunned Matou Zouken, she immediately knew that she could not kill him with the tools at her disposal.

Even if she engulfed the old man in an explosion, the worms he kept elsewhere would simply inherit his personality again. The old geezer was a wraith, after all.

Therefore, reaching forward with her reinforced Azoth sword, Ritsuka looked deep within herself, to the depths of her soul.

There was definitely something within her reality marble capable of defeating Zouken, and she was determined to find it.

If Emiya Shirou's world was a steel-clad forge, filled with the weapons of countless heroes, then Ritsuka's world was a starry night sky, filled with the lives and dreams of those same heroes.

Or at least, that was what it was supposed to be.

Right now, Ritsuka's reality marble took the shape of a flat area of grassy land, encompassed by all-consuming darkness.

Ritsuka knew in her heart that this was supposed to be a grassy plain illuminated by stars. This was what her soul told her.

Then, where were those stars that she insisted were there?

The night sky was illuminated by nothing by a flickering purple dot, flickering dangerously as if it was about to be put out.

It was apparent that if that star fell, then there would only be eternal darkness in Ritsuka's world.

Was this phenomenon because of a lack of optimism in Ritsuka's heart? Was it simply because of the darkness of her soul?

No, it was not. Normally, her reality marble would contain the complete data of every single servant she had ever summoned. Normally, there should be a beautiful starry night, highlighting the articulate green grass below.

The reason for this darkness was simply because Ritsuka did not have enough information to truly materialize her reality marble, which was exactly why she was never able to use it.

After all, to actualize the truth of heroic spirits, one needed the utmost amount of information about them, from the exact number of hair strands to the precise placement of skin molecules.

Naturally, a human would never have access to this information, no matter how much they studied. After all, not even the Heroic Spirits themselves knew so much.

Even so, Ritsuka's unbreakable bond with her servants stood tall, her love for her friends acting as a barrier she could not surpass.

If she was to use her friends' abilities and weapons, then they would have to be perfect to the very last detail. Any less than that was akin to blasphemy, unfaithfulness.

This got to the point where it influenced her reality marble, which was originally supposed to materialize the basic ideals of every hero, turning them into weapons she could summon at any time.

After a while, that changed, as Ritsuka got to know her servants more. Almost subconsciously, her soul decided that it would not accept something flimsy as basic ideals anymore. If she was to truly honor her friends by fighting with their, power, she needed the genuine article, not some conceptual crystallization of ideals. Of course, this was simply the woman's inner world inside her brain. She would never have the power to materialize such a thing.

Still, this lead to a unique roadblock, a roadblock only Fujimaru Ritsuka would ever face.

With a strict inner world like this, she was unable to picture almost anything from it, as complete knowledge about her heroic spirits were not imprinted in her mind.

Therefore, the inner world simply shut down, as there was insufficient data for its use.

Her run-in with the Alien God seemed to change that.

Whatever that entity meant by its complex words detailing something of a link, it seemed to permanently change Ritsuka's soul. No one knew exactly what happened, but it would seem that there was now a massive disturbance within her inner self.

Now, She could see many things, things that were impossible to observe before.

In fact, the level of information she somehow… just knew, was almost disturbing.

However, when Ritsuka focused on her inner world with extreme concentration, she saw _something_.

Perhaps it could be equated to a perfectly blue sky, or a sky filled to the brim with beautiful stars.

As Ritsuka reached forth a hand to touch that inviting sky, she heard _something_.

It was as if a thousand whispers entered her ears at the same time.

However, the situation wasn't even that kind.

With those whispers came visions, memories, emotions, and so much more.

The elated joy of having slain an evil dragon.

The satisfaction of finding a worthy adversary.

The pain of a thousand tortures.

The joy of a life-long love.

Ritsuka's brain was swarmed by incredible amounts of information, more than anyone was prepared to take on at once.

The girl, while surprised, was not deterred.

No, she had a job to do, and she needed a certain ability in order to do it. That ability just happened to require her to access the blue sky.

It was that simple.

So, blocking her mind off from the voices, visions, and emotions which threatened to consume it, the girl tread onwards.

Every step took the same energy of climbing a mountain, and every second served to bring further chaos to her mind.

However, eventually, Ritsuka's mind reached the blue sky. It was just like always. No matter the hardships, no matter the difficulty, Fujimaru Ritsuka manages to find a path through it, no matter what.

Ritsuka touched the surface of the spectral sky, convinced that what she needed was within it.

And as soon as her hand met its surface, the world seemed to explode.

It was as if the entire reality marble vanished in a brilliant explosion of white.

The sudden, all-encompassing brightness was too much for the girl's eyes, adjusted to the dark shade of her reality marble, forcing her to close them.

Ritsuka clenched her teeth as the pain of the light transition struck her eyes, covering them with a hand.

"Tch!"

After a few seconds, Ritsuka opened her eyes once more, just to see exactly what happened, and any possible damage that was done to her mental scape.

Ritsuka had a slight inkling that she knew exactly what the strange portal was, and her mind simply refused to comprehend it, but that was both uncertain and better discussed at another time.

Now, Ritsuka had to see just exactly what happened to her reality marble, sweeping her eyes across the world to get a better sense of it.

"_W-What the hell is this?!"_

A justifiable reaction, as Ritsuka's world had changed, perhaps into a form even better than the one she envisioned.

The previous unlit plain, ominous and unpleasant, was now showered in the light of three-hundred stars, every single one of the celestial orbs completely brimming with power.

Majestic pseudo-suns burned with heat unimaginable to man, threatening to consume all in their transcendent glory.

Divine stars shone with a surplus of righteousness and majesty, demanding awe from all who observed them.

Dark, malevolent orbs churned seethed in the night sky, releasing flames of anger and hatred unable to be soothed by anything in existence.

Ritsuka could only stare wide-eyed, as her entire world had transformed into something truly wonderful.

Whatever had happened, it allowed her access to the one thing she didn't have. A complete record of her servants.

Naturally, such a thing was extremly suspicious, no doubt some sinister ploy by the Alien God. However, Ritsuka was not about to look a gift horse in the mouth.

Looking around the starry sky, Ritsuka smiled, knowing that each individual orb represented one of her beloved servants.

Oh, how she wished to stay, to experiment with this power! Perhaps she could even resurrect some of her lost friends!

"Tch!"

Ritsuka clenched her fists.

That would never happen. After all, the Alien God had cursed her.

Again, that incomprehensible deity had muttered some strange spiel in an attempt to do something.

Mere seconds before it was banished to its place of origin, the immensely powerful being had imprinted its will upon the throne of heroes with the last of his strength.

The curse… was the absolute worst thing that could ever happen to Ritsuka, being one of the reasons she felt that the last battle was a hollow victory.

When a Servant met its end, it would leave the physical plain, back to the Throne of Heroes, where it would be assimilated back into the true soul of the hero, imprinting its memories onto them.

However, whatever the Alien god did, it nullified this.

Proving yet again just how immensely influential it was, the Alien God's curse directly made changes to the spiritual origins of every single servant under the command of Fujimaru Ritsuka, inflicting a unique effect upon them.

This effect basically made the servants incapable of remembering the existence known as Fujimaru Ritsuka, along with all of her exploits, achievements, and relations with them.

Usually, a servant would be able to remember at least some of the exploits done by their summoners, whether it is in the form of written words or odd dreams.

However, the Alien God completely erased this data from the Throne of Heroes, ensuring that Fujimaru Ritsuka would die forgotten and unremembered.

"**Despair, Fujimaru Ritsuka. Soon, you will see that we are not so different."**

Those words still brought nightmares to Ritsuka today. She had no idea what they meant, only that they brought an awful premonition.

Moreover, it would appear that the newfound link that had been permanently chained to her soul was probably due to the god's actions too. Although, why he would aid her was a mystery within itself.

Even so, Ritsuka was heartbroken when Da Vinci's scans revealed the changes to her servants' spirit origins.

She had never wanted anyone in her old world to remember who she was. Ritsuka simply wanted her friends and family to acknowledge her existence, even when they are gone. That was essentially how she got over the loss of her servants after the events of Solomon, comforting herself with the fact that they would remember her for all of eternity.

But now, even the ones who before, would never be able to remember her again. Her existence was now something akin to a forbidden zone for her owl loved ones, something that they would never be able to remember ever again.

Ritsuka shook her head.

"_It's fine. I've already made my peace with this. Let's just get my job over with."_

Smiling sadly, Ritsuka looked upon her own night sky, her heart dragging her vision towards the star representing the servant whose power would help the most in this situation.

Smiling, Ritsuka extended forth her hand, enclosing it over the image of a shining azure orb, surrounded by strands of purple lightning.

Making a motion of crushing the conceptualized image of her friend with her right hand, Fujimaru Ritsuka smiled.

"You were always so reliable, ya know that?"

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Ritsuka, now finding herself back in the material plane, rapidly expanded the size of her reality marble, hosting it within her own body.

This technique had helped her somewhat, and she had become proficient with it in record time. She had heard that another person was proficient in using it like this… someone called Chaos?

Well, that didn't matter right now. Ritsuka had gained proficiency in this technique before, and now she was a master at it.

Taking in the heroic spirit's bodily data, she integrated it onto her own body, merging nerves, bones, and organs. This was a complete replication of the Heroic Spirit, from its memories to its body. It could be described as a high-level possession, where the spirit imposed its physical and mental data onto the host, almost reaching the soul itself.

This brought with it knowledge and expertise in all of the Heroic Spirit's weapons, armor, and noble phantasms, even if those were not something they possessed in life.

If Emiya Shirou was someone who copied the weapons of Heroic Spirits, integrating them into his own arsenal, then Fujimaru Ritsuka was someone who copied the Heroic Spirit's entire existence, hosting it within herself.

Like father, like daughter.

Suddenly, a flash of blue entered Ritsuka's normally orange eyes, a multitude of changes happening within her body instantaneously.

Surges of memories, emotions, and sensations filled her mind as the azure star expanded more and more inside of her, eventually morphing into a whole internal system.

As the memories flooded Ritsuka's mind, she smiled wryly.

"_Yep, these memories are just about what I'd expect from you. You act cold and heartless sometimes, but there's something in there. It just doesn't like to show very often."_

Suddenly, a dagger appeared in Ritsuka's outstretched hand, simple and plain.

Her eyes were a whole other matter, however, glowing a light azure blue, streaks of pink lightning circling within its center.

Ritsuka closed in on Zouken, the knife quickly swiping towards his exposed worm neck.

"_I can see it! I can see where his life ends! All I need to do is to trace this line!"_

Indeed, there was a line within her vision that would end the old man's life instantly when traced.

Eager for Zouken's death, Ritsuka reinforced her arm, bringing down the knife much quicker than humanly possible.

This was a strike that should have killed anyone hit by it, no matter who they were. Not even the slippery old worm could evade the knife signaling his complete demise.

Or… at least that was what Ritsuka thought.

However, at the last possible second, the worms making up Zouken's body shifted to the side, moving his line of death sharply in their direction.

Ritsuka, staring at her knife in alarm, realized that she had missed.

"_Hell! How did this guy recover so quickly?!"_

Forced to bend her upper body backward to evade a swarm of flying crest worms, Ritsuka blocked out the words originating from her enemy's mouth.

"_Nothing good ever comes out of it anyways."_

Speeding towards Zouken on reinforced legs, two mystic eyes stared forth, as if attempting to evaluate his soul itself.

These were the eyes of Ryogi Shiki, ?the **Mystic Eyes of Death Perception**. Eyes that would allow its user to trace the lines of death, resulting in the imminent demise of whatever was traced.

As long as something has a beginning and an end, it could be traced. And if it was traced, then it would die.

However, this ability would be impossible to achieve if not for Shiki's third personality, which possessed a connection to Akasha itself. Using the eyes for a great amount of time would put unimaginable stress on the body, if not impossible without her help.

Ritsuka knew this, but still held onto the ability nonetheless.

How she was able to do this was unknown even to her.

All she knew was that it came from that strange blue sky that she had somehow reached, the place she did not know of, but seemed to be familiar with.

It was a sensation indescribable by human words, not meant to be experienced by mankind.

Still, even after acknowledging this, Ritsuka still pressed on, dashing towards the nimble Matou Zouken, who was hurriedly avoiding her blows.

She would do one thing at a time. That would be the best answer to all of this.

Reinvigorating herself, Ritsuka mustered up her energy, reinforcing her legs to their limits.

Perhaps Zouken was mocking her, perhaps he was not. She didn't know, and she didn't care.

All that mattered was that the old bastard died.

Ritsuka had learned a thing or two about listing to villain monologues. Only listen to the good ones, not the strange, ridiculous speeches that a worm-like Zouken would create. He would just use the time for some kind of trap anyways.

Pressing on with her knife, Ritsuka pursued Matou Zouken within the enclosed room for a whole minute before the old man lept out a window to the outside. His familiars didn't work on Ritsuka, as she was too fast for them to catch.

An exhausted Ritsuka followed, landing onto the pavement with a loud thud.

The girl narrowed her eyes.

"I see. Matou Zouken. You are somehow extraordinarily fast, even when you have no right to be with that body."

A flaky blue light gathered onto an enclosed palm, Ritsuka's knife disappearing, her eyes returning to normal.

Her voice was dead serious, with none of the usual spunk or humor normally associated with it.

This was an ancient family enemy she had to take down. There was no disputing that.

"Very well, old worm. I'll humor you."

The girl now had a stoic grin on her face, as if victory was completely assured.

"I'll make sure to crush you thoroughly in this little contest of speed!"

Ritsuka reached within her reality marble again, letting go of the data of Ryogi Shiki.

"_I'm sorry, Shiki-san… I wasn't able to utilize your abilities properly… Please don't be mad?"_

Sighing in shame, the girl moved on to another Heroic Spirit that would allow her to defeat her enemy. A heroic spirit that could destroy souls, if possible.

Zouken, being the wraith he was, practically could not die by any other means.

Therefore, Ritsuka looked upon her bountiful sky, and grasped a star with her hand, as if crushing it with passionate intent.

The star, a dark blue sphere, oozing with black flame, seemed to shine in approval, increasing its brilliance a second before it was chosen.

"_Yes, you would definitely approve, wouldn't you? After all… this is revenge for a whole decade of grief the old worm has inflicted on my mother and aunt. Perhaps you would even be proud?"_

Ritsuka made a motion of crushing the star, taking it within her body.

As the flames of darkness encroached on her body and soul, the girl had a satisfied smirk on her face.

After all, there was no way Zouken would be getting out of this one alive.

As her body fully incorporated the Heroic Spirit, a special magic circuit and crest imposed upon her very soul, Fujimaru Ritsuka chuckled, a dark aura permeating from her every pore.

"Kukukukuku…kukukuku."

And then… Matou Zouken… found the true meaning of fear.

Chuckles transformed into full-blown laughter as the black flame of hell and void covered the girl's body like an infernal blanket.

"AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"

The dark flames were raging now, as if attempting to consume its own master.

Amidst that fire, a single predatory eye shone through it all. A malevolent orb of gold, glaring straight into Zouken's soul.

They were the eyes of a disgraced noble, a monster of vengeance whose only purpose in life was death and suffering.

The King of the Cavern, the Count of Monte Cristo, it did not matter what he was called. All that mattered to this man was revenge, something he had achieved with methods superior to all others.

In fact, the man's tale of vengeance was so profound, so brilliant, that it had been declared the best of its kind. This resulted in the man himself being well known by all, standing atop all others as the greatest Avenger who had ever lived.

**Edmond Dantès**, the man who had escaped from the infamous prison Château d'If, engulfing his targets in an inferno of revenge. This was the person who Fujimaru Ritsuka had taken into herself, the person whose powers she was borrowing to enact her own vengeance.

The black flames dispersed from Ritsuka, who was clothed in a dark-blue cloak covering her body to the knees. A fedora of the same color worked in harmony with her hair, now disheveled, to cover Ritsuka's right eye, as if adding a layer of mystery to her appearance.

The memory link hit her quickly and suddenly, giving the girl no time to prepare.

"Kukuku… this pain… this suffering! Edmond! Your determination is far beyond even what I envisioned! To survive this much, yet still capable of wearing a dignified smile upon your face! Kukuku… I definitely underestimated you..."

Now completely focused on Zouken, that single golden eye, burning with hatred, seemed to grow into a neverending inferno.

Ritsuka's cloak, made from her mana, was again engulfed in the flames of the void, giving her the appearance of a demon of vengeance.

The girl's mouth curled in a murderous grin, proving her superiority over her foe.

Needless to say, Edmond's larger than life personality had bled into hers.

It was only natural. When you were given access to a whole other person's memories, it would only make sense that some of them would enter your psyche.

Rather, it was not the Count's personality that was incredible in this situation, it was Ritsuka's individuality. Just the fact that her mental state was mostly unchanged was a massive showing of her sense of self.

"Now, Zouken. Death has finally come for you. After all those years of living, pathetically clutching to this realm with your filthy paws, your needlessly long life is about to be cut short as if it is nothing more than a sheet of paper!"

The cloak of fire around Ritsuka developed into an all-encompassing inferno, completely covering a radius of one meter around her body.

Zouken, who must have understood the soul-destroying properties of the fire, almost froze in fear at the sight of the monster before him.

"Despair, old worm! Look upon your death, and know true defeat! This is **Monte Cristo Mythologie**! The soul-devouring flame! The same flame that shall burn away your existence until it is naught but cinders!"

Ritsuka's hidden eye twitched as she reevaluated what she just said.

"_Edmond, you are definitely not a good influence on me."_

In truthfulness, the flames of the void had been taking large chunks of her prana reserves, still generated by her own magical circuits, even if transformed by her reality marble.

"_Yeah, I would say my reserves are at 13% right now. Not very ideal…"_

Taking a deep breath, Ritsuka willed Edmond's flames to increase in intensity, even if it meant that her prana reserves would be diminished.

"Now, Matou Zouken! You shall decide! Will you be a coward and run with your tail between your legs, or accept your extermination with pride and dignity, befitting one of your status?!"

Ritsuka did not wait for an answer, as a certain word was already on her lips, ready to be spoken at any time.

"_It really doesn't matter what he does. He'll be dead either way."_

Zouken turned tail and retreated as fast as he could, worms following him hurriedly. He knew for a fact that there was nothing in his arsenal that could defeat his enemy.

"_Well, fight or flight, I guess? Whatever, I'll be killing him now."_

Eyeing the fleeing Zouken, Ritsuka took a running position, focusing her flames onto the soles of her feet.

Looking back upon Edmond's memories and finding its defining moments, she spoke the words which symbolized his impossible escape from the prison of nightmares. His noble phantasm, which carried with it the very concept of escape.

"**Enfer…"**

Zouken turned around, his eyes widening in fear at the sight of Edmond's ability, as he truly recognized it for what it was.

"**Château d'If!"**

It was a noble phantasm. The ability to escape from anything and everything the user viewed as a prison, even if it was something as abstract as time or space.

This gave Ritsuka the power to "escape" from the very laws of physics, enabling the user to move at faster-than-light speeds.

In other words, **Enfer Château d'If** had essentially the same effect as a time stop.

And in this world of apparently stopped time, the Count of Monte Cristo reigned supreme.

The clouds in the sky stopped moving, their endless bounty of snow having already frozen midair.

The gentle breeze, which had swept across the entire mansion, suddenly stopped in its tracks, as if nonexistent.

Even the rustles of the withered sakura trees had stopped, their branches completely still.

It was like a painting, a realistic portrait of the world that seemed real, but fake at the same time.

After all, no one could stand being isolated in a frozen world for long. The sheer lack of socialization would drive them mad.

However, for the former master, this was no issue, as she couldn't use this noble phantasm for that long anyway.

"_A quarter-second has passed."_

Ritsuka leaped into the air, launching black flames from her feet as a method to propel herself forward.

Every second of time drained almost 20% of her total mana reserves, so she needed to end this quickly.

Landing next to Zouken, who appeared to be frozen in time, mouth wide in an expression of horrifying realization, Ritsuka smiled.

"_Stupid old geezer. I've wanted to do this for a long time now. Thanks for the opportunity!"_

A black flame formed within Ritsuka's hand, easily the size of her head, hungrily lapped up its surroundings like a starved beast.

This flame, as willed by its master, immediately compressed itself into a spherical shape, fitting into her palm as a compact blue sphere of energy.

"_Ironic, isn't it, Zouken? Two centuries of life spent on endless research, honing family techniques, and developing heirs, cut short by a mere girl, two decades of age."_

Ritsuka laughed, shoving the sphere of energy into Zouken's body like a bullet through a wet tissue.

"_It ends now, worm. No man, woman, or child will ever be harmed by your actions ever again!"_

The compressed orb was released within Zouken's body, creating a massive, all-engulfing explosion comparable to an airstrike.

As the azure orb expanded, everything within a five-meter radius was completely erased without a trace of their existence, forming a massive hold in the pavement.

Turning her back on the congregation of worms that didn't exist anymore, Ritsuka snapped her fingers.

"_Half-a second has passed."_

The world returned to normal, everything regaining the motion they once had.

Of course, this was just from Ritsuka's perspective. It wasn't as if she had slowed things down. The experience simply came from the fact that she sped herself up.

Huffing and puffing in the cold, the coat and fedora she wore dissipated into flakes of blue prana, as they were no longer needed.

Straitening out her suit, the girl sighed as she dismissed Edmond Dantès from her body.

"_Well, that took a large toll on my magic circuits, even if Edmond's super overpowered ones overlapped on it. Moreover, I have about 1% of my total mana left. Yep, I totally underestimated the sheer mana cost of that noble phantasm."_

However, the crisis was already over, as Zouken's body had been completely erased from the material world, along with a chunk of his mansion. Moreover, Ritsuka had already checked if her flames had eaten away his soul already, and the answer seemed to be yes.

Even if the old man was a wraith, there was no escaping the flames of **Monte Cristo Mythologie**. That exploding orb had annihilated Zouken's soul along with his body, killing him before he even knew what happened.

"_Well, it looks I have enough prana to at least pull out a golden apple from my reality marble. Guess I'll eat it and get some energy back."_

"_Alright. let's check on Bazett-nee, and after that, I'm going to go home. Hopefully, Mash won't too mad I'm late. I want us to do something special tonigh-"_

The tearing of flesh and bone resounded against the walls of Zouken's ruined house.

Mere seconds later, a sharp, wet cough could be heard, the sound of viscous liquid splattering against the ground following suit.

"_**Rejoice, Fujimaru Ritsuka… for your folly has come to an end."**_

Ritsuka looked downwards, staring unbelievingly at the gloved fist protruding from her chest.

She could feel strength rapidly losing her body, the golden apple she had conjured earlier disappearing in a dispersing wave of blue particles.

Her would-be assassin's hot breath impacted against her neck due to his close proximity, sending shivers up Ritsuka's spine.

Despite the sharp pain coursing throughout her body, Ritsuka simply chuckled at the unpleasant surprise, as if she had expected it all along.

No, it could be said that she always expected something like this to happen, for her assailant was more resilient than a cockroach. He was simply someone she could never manage to get rid of. Therefore, taking advantage of Ritsuka's weakened state was just something he would do naturally.

"Kukuku. Yes, I suppose this is indeed thanks to my own folly."

She twisted her neck as far back as it could go, a bloodthirsty grin upon her crazed face, orange orbs tinted with crimson killing intent.

"Yes… It appears that I was a fool… to not have torn you to pieces after I came back from the singularities…"

Behind Ritsuka, the smiling face of a priest studied her crazed expression, eyes devoid of all things human. His entire body covered by a concealing black cloak, the man would have given off the appearance of a specter of death if not for the silver cross upon his neck.

"**Kotomine Kirei!"**

The priest's smile transformed into a smirk as he twisted his hand inside of Ritsuka's chest, obtaining a wince from the girl.

"_**Yes, Fujimaru Ritsuka. I never did understand why you did not kill me back then… when you still could."**_

Ritsuka's eyes narrowed, the girl shoving a hand inside her pant pocket.

"Well, you fucking sadistic tofu priest, that is something you will never be able to understand. I had gained a newfound appreciation for different personalities, you see. My servants were a blend of everything, from the most righteous of heroes to the most sadistic of murderers... So, I guess you could say that I didn't kill you because I thought that you could still be reasoned with, because after everything I've been through, after every insight I have acquired, I actually took the chance to peek under your outside layer… to find what lay underneath."

Ritsuka chuckled self-depreciatingly.

"There were even times when I wanted to forgive you for the horrible things you have done to my parents and myself in the past."

A hand was withdrawn from a suit pocket, containing a star-like rainbow jewel with eight triangular spikes protruding from the body.

"But, now I know for sure. Kotomine Kirei, you are simply a revolting abomination pretending to be a human, and not in a good way! Under that human skin dwells a hideous black abyss! There is no way in hell that anyone could befriend someone like you!"

Clutching the Saint Quartz in her hand, Ritsuka utilized the last decimal percentage of her prana to trigger its mechanism, tapping into its stored energy.

"I've been filling this jewel with my magical energy for a year now, convinced that I could use it as a low-cost trump card during hopeless situations."

Kirei's eyes widened as the energy inside of the jewel spiked, the sheer amount of power inside threatening to burst through the object like water through a dam.

"Who knew that it would be used for something like this?"

Attempting to wrench his arm out of Ritsuka's chest, the priest found that it was too difficult, as the girl's tensed muscles had trapped him in.

However, as he reinforced his limb, Kirei was finally able to rip his arm out of the girl, causing further damage and blood loss.

Even so, there was no point in that. Fujimaru Ritsuka had already accepted the inevitability of her death.

Left virtually helpless, with barely any prana to manipulate, there was simply no way for her to survive this encounter. Even when she was so lucky during the other times in her life, there was no salvation for her this time.

Therefore…

"To be honest… I really don't want to die alone. I mean, at least not without Mash watching over me over my deathbed. Yeah… this really sucks, and I hate the fact that there's no way I can do anything about it."

The jewel began to glow with white-hot energy, as if it was transforming into a small sun. Kirei reinforced his limbs the best he could, desperately attempting to leap away from the predetermined explosion.

"But, you know… If I can't die with my loved ones, I'll just die with my sworn enemy! That's the third-best death I can ask for!"

Ritsuka's eyes narrowed as her vision blurred due to blood loss.

"_Yes… maybe if I can take this bastard with me, it won't be so bad."_

She had made a split-second decision. The blood loss certainly did not do much to deter Ritsuka's rashness.

The white-hot object seemed to compress onto itself for a single millisecond, rapidly expanding outward in the next.

The resulting explosion was one that wiped away everything in a five-meter radius.

Stone, wood, even metal, were all reduced to rubble, a massive three-dimensional hole taking up their previous location.

Kirei, who was still in the air, mid-jump, felt the impeding wave of rainbow energy engulf him, much faster than his legs would ever allow him to travel.

"_**Kukuku… Do you truly believe it will be that easy… Fujimaru Ritsuka?"**_

Ritsuka… simply gave a gentle smile as her bloodied form was engulfed by the explosion, her gaze turning skywards in that last moment, admiring the vast, blue heavens once more before her time came.

"_So… even though I've been through so much, and this is how it ends, huh? Well, killed by your life-long nemesis, and killing him in return… that's not too bad actually. Some of my servants would definitely approve. Although, this probably isn't poetic enough for William-san, is it?"_

The fluffy clouds, sitting atop the bountiful sky, seemed to change into the shapes of people, brilliant smiles on each of their faces.

"_But, if there's one regret I have, it's that I couldn't die with you, Mash. It's really a shame. Even when I know that you'll carry on fine without me, it's really annoying that I'll never be able to make any more memories with you. Who knows? You might adopt some kids, hell knows how many times I thought about that. Maybe you would even find yourself a new wife or husband… well, whoever they may be, all that I can say is that they're the luckiest people on the planet."_

A single drop of liquid seemed to uselessly drop to the ground, completely incinerated by the rainbow-colored wave of heat that threatened to consume all.

"_Ahh… who am I kidding? Honestly, Mash… I just wanted more time with you… I was never able to get married to any of my servants, so I'm really glad that our wedding happened before this. But still… I just… I just wanted more time! _

A small chuckle could be heard a millisecond before the explosion.

"_Ah… I see. That's it, huh? That's just what love is, isn't it? Even if I had all the time in the world with you… no, not just you… everyone. Even if I had centries with you all, I would still never truly be satisfied. Yes. Yes, that seems to be it. Love is a neverending spiral that leads to unquenchable desires. Or at least, that if my brand of love."_

The rainbow explosion consumed everything, leaving nothing in its wake.

"_Still, Mash. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry that it feels like my heart's going to pop out of my chest. If you can ever forgive me for doing something this reckless, then I would be really happy. But most importantly… just have a good life. Even when you can't live for yourself, live for me, ok?"_

At that moment, the flames of Ristuka's life were cruelly snuffed out, like a candle being put out by a massive winter breeze.

Softly, without any commotion, the world's savior departed from this world.

The winds did not still.

The lands did not shift.

The seas did not split.

Even the almighty gods, who had observed the girl's entire journey did not weep. How could they mourne a single human, especially in this world where they were virtually powerless?

Yes… In the end, Fujimaru Ritsuka died in obscurity and mystery, her passing only known to her close friends and wife, which could be counted on a single hand.

With time, the world's savior became nothing more than a name on a dead family tree, her tale unknown and unsung, her existence, forgotten by all.

But that was a fate Ritsuka had anticipated. After all, she was never one to seek recognition or wealth. She simply fought to bring her world back, for the simple reason of living in it with her loved ones.

And she succeeded. The world was saved. The lives of eight-billion, along with their distant ancestors were all returned from destruction due to the efforts of one woman and her comrades.

And in those eight-billion people… there were barely any who would ever utter the words "Fujimaru Ritsuka" in their entire lives.

Thus, the story ended.

Not with a massive battle with the entire world on the line.

Nor with a momentous reconciliation with lost comrades and lovers.

Not even with a blissful and hard-earned triumph over the primary antagonist.

It was simply… the loss of a drop of water in an endless sea.

The decrease of a single number from a total of eight million.

And that, was the conclusion to the existence of Fujimaru Ritsuka.

The anticlimactic end of an irreverent individual, unsung, unremembered, and utterly insignificant.

_**Not if your favorite world-hopping vampire has anything to say about it.**_

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There was nothing but darkness. Cold, void, nonexistent. Those were some of the ways to describe this space.

An endless reality of non-existing space, stretching far and void, akin to a black void where everything was nothing, and nothing was everything.

In the center of that hopeless space, one girl slept, unknowingly being watched over by a god-like existence. An unperceivable, incomprehensible deity.

"**It would not do for someone like you to possess such a weak body."**

As the distorted voice finished that simple sentence, a streak of white exited the girl's chest, coalescing into a massive orb above her, a cluster of spiritual energy the size of a small car.

That orb suddenly grew in size, increasing and increasing until it became an existence that one could simply call enormous, becoming similar in volume to a large mansion.

And suddenly, just as the orb stopped glowing, it compressed itself into a hand-sized sphere, white-hot spiritual electricity channeling, as if desperately attempting to escape an inescapable prison.

That sphere was plunged into the girl's chest in an instant, as if it were forcefully smashed downwards by the hand of a god. In reality, this was not too far from the truth.

The Alien God, for the first time in millennia, felt an emotion somewhat close to amusement enter his incomprehensible mind.

This would be an entertaining experiment indeed.

And whilst this was happening, Fujimaru Ritsuka slowly opened her eyes.

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Ritsuka found herself sitting upright in a chair, surrounded by a world of complete black, devoid of almost everything.

"_Huh? Didn't I just die a second ago?"_

Before Ritsuka could think more, she swept her eyes across the surroundings, finding nothing but a wooden table, along with a rollable chair with its back turned to her.

"_Wait a minute…"_

Emiya Shirou had told Ritsuka many stories when she was small. One particular one was the tale where he had been summoned to a world of pitch black, forced to accommodate the whims of a trolling vampire.

The chair turned a hundred eighty degrees, the man sitting upon it suddenly meeting face to face with Ritsuka, who was still as a rock in her seat.

The old man looked at her with energetic and amused eyes, a suspicious smirk upon his aged face, his fangs revealed for all to see.

"Damned geezer. I didn't know you could interfere with someone's soul after they died. Tell me, do you do this often?"

To the now extremly annoyed Fujimaru Ritsuka, The Magician in command of the Second Magic gave a cheeky grin, his white beard curling upwards.

"Ah, my dear Ritsuka. I didn't know you were so interested in my magic. Perhaps you should have taken the offer to be my pupil back then?"

The girl sighed, her earlier annoyance gone.

"Look. You're an annoying, meddling, and overly vexing person. However, you're actually not that bad of a guy, even if you dumped me into that strange world back then. The only reason I didn't accept to be your pupil after the end of the Grand Order was that I just didn't want that kind of life. That's all."

Zelretch gave a genuine sigh of disappointment, something he did with extreme rarity. His earlier disposition forgotten, the man showed his genuine feelings.

"I know. I was just asking you to get a good reaction, but how am I supposed to respond when you give me such an honest answer?"

Ritsuka tilted her head and smiled.

"Yes, yes. You're not actually a bad person, just eccentric because of certain factors. I still haven't forgotten how you helped my parents back then, even though you were stretching the boundaries of your allowed amount of interference."

The old vampire covered his face with his hand, looking up into the sky as if thinking about something grand.

"Yes… those two. They were surprisingly wonderful pupils. Shame that they had to die so young…"

The number of times Zelretch had such a serious conversation with anyone could be counted upon a hand, so it could be said that Ritsuka had just orchestrated a historical event.

She was always good at peering into someone's true personality, peeling off the walls which they used to accommodate their existence in the outside world. Even the great Wizard Marshal Zelretch could not escape this strange innate ability, and had been affected just like all of Ritsuka's servants.

This is why, try as he might, the vampire could never truly feel superior in a conversation with Ritsuka. She always knew what he was really saying deep down, even when his words on the outside contradicted them.

It was disconcerting, to be in control over so many others, but not this single girl.

After Ritsuka and Zelretch sat in their seats in a moment of silence for Tohsake Rin and Emiya Shirou, the former asked in a calm tone,

"Zelretch-san, why is it that you have called me here? You already know that you cannot save me from death, so is this some kind of send-off? Are you here to show me something I must see before my assimilation with Akasha?

All living beings that possessed souls returned to Akasha, the tree of origin. They would be recycled and repurposed into new ones, something close to a cycle of reincarnation.

Therefore, whatever reason Zelretch possessed to summon her here would be rendered void once she was absorbed back into the Swirl of the Root. Unlike Heroic Spirits, who have their souls recorded in the Throne of Heroes, regular people would have their souls torn apart and reconstructed into something else. That was simply the way things worked.

However, the vampire seemed to disagree with this notion, as his unusually serious eyes glistened with sternness.

"Ritsuka, you've always been a no-nonsense sort of person, so I guess I'll get right to the point. No pleasantries or anything like that. However, this is something you probably won't like hearing."

Ritsuka furrowed her brows. She had no idea what the old man was talking about. Was it something the Alien God did?

"Your soul has been permanently connected to Akasha, so it would not be in your best intrest to submit to it."

Ritsuka's eyes widened.

"_What the hell is he talking about? O-oi, don't tell me…"_

Zelretch sighed darkly, looking his age for the first time in years.

"Even I don't know what that Alien God did, but it seems to have connected your soul to Akasha in the strangest way possible."

Ritsuka was becoming impatient. She had a really bad feeling about this, but had to see where it lead.

"What did that guy do to me? I looked in my reality marble, Zelretch-san… there was a massive blue sky int he air. It gave me data on every Heroic Servant I ever summoned."

The vampire rubbed his eyes, obviously exhausted thanks to the conversation.

"Let me finish, Ritsuka. I have to do this step by step, so you are not confused. It would be best if you have a firm understanding of your situation."

The girl gulped once before nodding. It would appear that the stern expression on Zelretch's face would not accept any arguments.

"That Alien God's power is practically infinite, so it messed around with your connection to the Root. This is not like some of the other cases, where the people connected practically gained complete omniscience, omnipotence, and omnipresence. Your connection is much lighter, which means that you don't have as many powers as them. No doubt, this was intentional."

He put a hand under his chin, as if pondering over a fact.

"For some reason, it gave you a complete connection with the Throne of Heroes, so you can access it at any time. That's what the sky in your reality marble represents, the literal Throne of Heroes. Surprisingly, this works too well with your ability. It's almost as if your entire personality was hand-crafted to get the most of this connection…"

Zelretch shrugged.

"Well, that's a hypothesis for another time. Now, all you need to know is that you can reach into that portal any time you like and take in the memories, experiences, and abilities of one heroic spirit into yourself via reality marble. Of course, your mind will forget all of those memories the second you let go of the transformation. It's just a natural defense mechanism based on the chance of your brain running out of storage data."

The vampire smiled.

"Of course, you also have access to their skills and Noble Phantasms. Even so, it isn't like you're actually summoning them, more like that you're taking into yourself everything that they are, except for their actual sentient selves. In theory, if that annoying little memory-erasure the Alien God set up didn't exist, you'd actually be able to summon your servants to your side."

At Ritsuka's downcast expression, the old vampire winced slightly. There were times before when he recruited her for a few missions, and during them, he had slowly grown attached to her.

Therefore, seeing her like this did not do wonders for his mood.

"Sorry, that must have hurt a little."

Ritsuka shook her head.

"No… I've accepted it by now. They wouldn't want me to mope too much."

Taking a breath to compose herself, the former master raised an eyebrow.

"I know most of what you're saying already. The question is, just what does this change? I'm still dead, aren't I?"

The vampire scratched his head.

"Yes… about that… It would appear that it is not in your best intrest to go back to the Root. Something… undesirable may happen…"

The girl frowned.

"What do you mean? Am I going to be denied death now? After everything that's already happened?"

Ritsuka had almost reached her breaking point.

She been forcefully taken away from her wife on their special day together, never to see each other again. Now she was being denied an actual death?"

It wasn't like Ritsuka actually wanted to die. She simply wanted something that was supposedly preordained to happen. King Hassan would be extremly disappointed in her if she were to escape from death.

Moreover… considering that Ritsuka would never see Mash or any of her loved ones again, there wasn't much of a point in living.

Zelretch, as if reading her mind, combed his messy white hair with a hand.

"No… It's not like you can't die. It's just that if you die, something extremly bad will happen. You won't be reassimilated into the Root, you'll be… preserved, if that's the right word for it."

Ritsuka covered her face with both hands. She wasn't following the topic anymore.

"What the hell are you talking about…"

There was a moment of silence until the punchline was spoken.

"Basically, you'll become God."

Ritsuka's entire body tensed as she leaped out of her seat on sheer instinct.

"You're fucking kidding me!"

Zelretch tried to say something, but was aptly cut off by the now enraged former master.

"No, seriously! What kind of bad joke is this?! Become God?! Really?! How the hell would that even work?!"

Inside, Ritsuka's heart sunk. She immediately forgot how impossible the current situation was. Zelretch wouldn't lie to her about something like this. However, the meaning of his words had a different effect entirely.

Preserved and becoming God… this was the worst possible scenario.

Gods on the planet Earth were existence directly connected to the world. Despite that, they had human emotions, thoughts, and feelings, albeit with a high amount of arrogance.

Extraterrestrial gods on the other hand… were simply not compatible with humanity. Becoming a God by assimilating with Akasha while being preserved… there was only one possibility in that case.

Zelretch narrowed his eyes.

"Yes… It seems like you have realized it. Of course, this is just a theory based on calculations, but my calculations are rarely wrong. This is a side effect of the actions of the Alien God."

His eyes stared into Ritsuka's, as if staring directly into her soul.

"Tell me… have you reached the 'truth' of Akasha?"

Ritsuka gulped as she remembered what Abagail's dark patron has shown her. The girl did not have any memories of the events, but she knew that she almost killed herself after reaching a 'certain something'.

"Yes… I think so. Beast VII kind of showed it to me when it was defeated… But Merlin erased most of those memories after I came back."

Zelretch frowned.

"Then your memories of the 'truth' must have been erased then. Honestly… what was that god thinking… showing you something like that?"

Ritsuka fidgeted with her fingers before asking,

"Just what does that 'truth' mean? I have no idea what it is…"

Zelretch sighed, almost as if he was exasperated.

"To be honest, I don't know either, and that's a good thing. One of those Outer Gods told me something about puppets and strings, and just left it at that. However…"

The old vampire looked down, almost as if in thought.

"If you have seen the 'truth', then Akasha will not incorporate your soul into it anymore, since you've basically ascended beyond it. It could be assumed that you are already God, just without knowledge of your powers. But you are also not "God", as you lack a true connection to the Root..."

Ritsuka almost screamed. She had no idea what this all was, and it was extremly confusing.

"You seem to be ignorant of one thing. The 'truth' of the Root is not a mere secret to be unlocked, it is the central mystery holding together the rules of the universe. If someone knows of it, then they can ignore those very rules, for they have realized just what they really are, and how easy it is to actually break them."

Ritsuka clawed at her hair.

"I don't understand any of this, but what does it have to do about me 'becoming God'?"

Zelretch stood up.

"It's simple Ritsuka. The moment that the 'truth' of reality was revealed to you, you became a creature capable of ignoring all the rules in the Multiverse, a human who knew the true form of reality. While I have no idea what that 'truth' actually is, I do know that it drove you insane, which is why your memories had to be erased."

The atmosphere changed immediately, a feeling of dread climbing up Ritsuka's stomach.

"However, even if those memories are erased, the 'truth' is still ingrained into your very existence, which means it will be revealed to you once more when you reach the Root, when it uselessly attempts to break down your soul. By that point, you will have become a creature surpassing Akasha entirely, something that understands everything about reality itself."

Ritsuka was shaking now. That kind of power was not good. If the sheer recognization of it was enough to make her attempt to take her own life, then what kind of terrible secret must that 'truth' be? Unbelievable as this was, she had no choice but to accept it.

For one of the few times in her life, the final master of humanity found herself shaking in her boots, completely consumed by fear.

"Now… I do not know if the Alien God partnered up with that Outer God, but either way, it appears that simply dying is just not a good option for you anymore. Being omniscient and omnipresent isn't a good thing, it's a curse. Knowing everything makes it all boring. After all, it is one of humanity's reasons for existence to explore the unknown. That cannot be achieved when there is no unknown."

Ritsuka dully nodded.

She didn't understand most of the things Zelretch said, but if half of them were true, then Ritsuka was in an extremly bad situation.

She had several bad experiences with near-all-powerful cosmic beings. She did not want to become one herself.

It wasn't as if Ritsuka detested power. No, she loved it. Power allowed her to protect her loved ones, to keep them safe from harm.

However, if it was something like omniscience, then she would definitely transform into someone else, someone who is not Fujimaru Ritsuka anymore.

Ritsuka had made a promise to her servants to stay true to herself no matter what happened, and she intended to keep it.

Therefore, composing herself, she asked,

"So… can I assume that you summoned me here to give me some sort of escape from death? Although something like that should be outside your jurisdiction, I can't underestimate you."

Zelretch nodded, a smirk on his face.

Ritsuka felt a shiver run down her spine. Whenever the old vampire used that smile, something would take a turn for the worse.

"Yes. It is exactly that. I am not surprised that you were able to figure this out. Now..."

Ritsuka gulped, anticipating what was coming next.

"Fujimaru Ritsuka… would you be interested in saving another world?"

The girl, now slumped in her seat, sighing with an expression of acceptance.

"Yep. I knew it would be something like that. Honestly… can't I just go back to my old world?"

With a sad but knowing smile on her face, Ritsuka looked down at her feet. She already knew the answer. Still, this was an obligatory question, if not for her sake then for Mash's.

Zelretch shook his head.

"Unfortunately, that is impossible. The only reason I can give you this offer in the first place is because I am somewhat collaborating with Alaya. It knows that you will refuse any requests to become a counter guardian, so it will just use you in another way to save one of its worlds."

Ritsuka almost choked on her saliva, recuperating after a few seconds as she digested the information. Oh, this was not good at all. Nothing that had to do with Alaya is ever good.

"So… basically, because there's no way I'll become a counter guardian considering how much of a scam the offer is, Alaya's going to use me in some other, overly complex way. Is that it?"

Zelretch nodded.

"Pretty much."

Ritsuka grimaced.

"Well… I don't really have a choice, do I?"

The vampire ruefully nodded his head, confirming Ritsuka's suspicions.

The girl lowered her head, voice dropping to a whisper.

"Could you tell me what happened to Mash, at least?"

Nodding, Zelretch submitted to her request.

"She lived a happy life. Granted, it was not quite the same without you, but that girl was able to move on and die peacefully with a smile on her face."

Ritsuka chuckled lightly, wiping her eyes with a sleeved arm.

"I'm glad, old man. You have no idea how glad I am to hear that."

The vampire smirked.

"No, I suppose I don't."

There was an awkward silence in the air that lasted for a whole minute, broken by the vampire, who had gathered a rainbow-colored flame in his hand.

"There's not much time for me to talk to you. If you want to move on, then it has to be now."

Ritsuka nodded.

"Alright. You should already know what my decision will be. Just tell me what I have to deal with."

Zelretch smirked.

"Already asking the important questions, I see. Well… sorry. All I'll tell you is that the threat is world-ending. That's it. Personal reasons, so I hope you can understand."

Ritsuka's eye began to twitch rapidly.

"Y-Yes… If it's you I can't really ask for more, can I?"

She needed much more information. At the start, Ritsuka was not too confident without her servants. If she didn't even have information to work with, then what the hell was she supposed to do?

"Can you at least tell me what kind of world it is? Anything helps."

The vampire's annoying smirk was still on his face.

"Yes. It would appear that the time period you will be thrust into is close to the date and circumstances of your former world. however, the Age of Gods is still ongoing."

The girl grinned.

"_That means I can enlist Divine Spirits to help me. Mana concentration will be high, so there will be many heroes with powerful abilities. Maybe they have used the advanced technology of the twentieth century to make magecraft-fueled superweapons? The possibilities are endless! And with conceptual weapons, then-"_

Zelretch, as if reading Ritsuka's mind, raised an eyebrow.

"Oh, don't depend too much on the gods and their heroes. Conceptual weapons are extremly hard to come by in that world, and gods are not extensions of the world either. In fact, many of them don't even know that Gaia and Alaya exist."

Ritsuka deadpanned. So, not only did they not have an arsenal of conceptual weapons, but the gods weren't even real gods?

"You're kidding me."

The vampire simply smirked. AGAIN.

Sighing heavily, Ritsuka drove her palm into her face, teeth grit.

"Alright. At least tell me that the world-ending disaster isn't that bad, or that counter guardians will help me or something. Anything would be good right now."

"No. I'm afraid that you will not be receiving any help from Gaia or Alaya. You _are_ the help, after all. Well, actually… nevermind."

Ritsuka raised an eyebrow.

"Actually what?"

Redirecting the conversation, Zelretch laughed.

"Anyways, I'll give you advice from time to time, maybe even a few materials. Oh, and you have about a thousand extremly high-quality magic circuits now, easily enough to be called a magic core. That Alien God seems to have tampered with your soul a little more than I thought."

Ritsuka snarled.

"Don't change the subject! And what do you mean that I have a magic core?! Zelretch!"

The rainbow flame in the vampire's flame began to burn brighter as he turned his palm towards Ritsuka.

"Well, that's the end of our little chat. I'll be writing to you soon, Ritsuka."

Jumping forward, the girl lunged for Zelretch.

"Wait a minute! You haven't told me enoug-"

A spiraling vortex of rainbow fire engulfed the girl, interrupting her words.

Fujimaru Ritsuka was gone from Zelretch's realm.

The old vampire, having no more for his facade, sighed in exhaustion.

"Alaya, just what exactly are you doing… This is unusual, even for you."

He jumped off his chair, pulling out a brilliant rainbow-colored sword, consisting from jewels.

"What an I even saying? There is no way that something like the embodiment of humanity will listen to me."

He grinned.

"Well, since she was here just now, Fujimaru Ritsuka has just been copied into the Throne of Heroes. The plan was a success."

His smile turned into a frown soon after.

"Although, Ritsuka… I am sorry for lying to you. It's just… she didn't want me to tell you, and I did not want to betray her wished. I'm sorry."

And thus, the old vampire, after confessing his guilt, picked up a book from the void-like ground, walking off into the distance.

Stroking his beard, the vampire swung his famed sword in an arc, leaving behind a circular rainbow portal in its wake.

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A certain white-haired girl was visited by her surrogate-grandfather, thankful for his company.

This time, he told her a story.

A story about a human girl who had saved the world twice, after many hardships. A girl that triumphed against forces that should have destroyed her with nothing but her determination and bonds.

A certain, tragic girl, who passed on to the next life as an unthanked unsung hero.

And that evening, Arcurid Brunstud slept, dreaming of the greatest hero of humanity.

A hero with orange hair, and a gentle, but resolved smile on her face.

**(Officially Edited by 5/13/2020)**

**I sleep at 2:00 A.M. in the mornings now, lol**

**Still, I'm not giving up writing**

**I don't really like the quality of this chapter, but the obscure topics I included are intentionally left unclear**

**I want to hopefully elaborate on them in my future stories.**

**But now, the two-chapter template is finally complete. I can use this for a variety of crossovers, with my somewhat OOC protagonist**

**Good for me**


	3. New Beginnings

**This is supposed to be a really short intro chapter**

Inside the mansion of a certain family in the Christian underworld, a young, red-haired girl hugged her stuffed doll in joy, practically jumping about in a sanitized waiting room.

An older man, appearing to be still in his twenties to thirties, merely looked to her with a smile, his long red hair flowing from his shoulders. He wore a fashionable classical outfit that gave off the appearance of nobility.

"Nii-sama, is she here yet?"

The girl asked this with an excited expression, childish wonder within those light-blue eyes.

The man simply smiled benevolently, amused at his little sister's antics.

"No, Rias. It will take a little longer. Be patient, ok?"

The girl pouted before hesitantly nodding. She looked to the door leading to a large room, almost as if attempting to burn away the entrance with her heated gaze alone.

"Can I at least watch? Father's in there, so why can't I go?"

The man simply patted her head, attempting to conceive his gushing side with all his might. Fawning over his sister's cuteness would not do good for his image as the older brother.

And yes, he was a siscon.

"Now now, Rias. Father can be in there because he's a grown-up. There are things inside that room that someone of your age should not see."

The girl pouted once more.

"But I'm going to have a little brother or sister! I want to see them before anyone else, Nii-sama! You're a Maou, so can't you do something?"

At this, Rias's older brother, also known as Sirzechs Lucifer, shook his head.

"No. Being a Maou means that I have to be impartial towards all devils. Unfortunately, that includes you too, Rias. Don't worry, you'll see your new sibling soon enough."

The newly revealed devil, Rias, spread her pitch-black wings, turned around, almost beginning a tantrum. Both the girl and her brother were the devils of the Bible, descendants of the ancient demons who opposed the Cristian God. Granted, they were a lot more pleasant than their ancestors.

Rias was not the only one excited at the arrival of a new sibling, however. When her mother, Venelana Gremory's pregnancy was announced, Sirzechs had spurted a grin on his face which threatened to tear his lips in twain.

A new sibling. A new _freaking _sibling! How grand? How marvelous?!

Not only would the devil have Rias to fawn over, but also another little kid who can follow him all over the place.

To say that the man was delighted would be an understatement.

In fact, Sirzechs' wife, Grayfia, had been exasperated for weeks trying to get him to quit slacking off on his paperwork and to stop annoying every single one of his acquaintances with hour-long rants on how cute his new sibling will be.

To many, this revealed a new side of the Maou, which gave him new support from many devils, and new opposition from others.

Politics would be politics, no matter the species or era. In fact, it might have been worse for devils than humans. Their desires were more rampant, after all.

"_Fufufu… I wonder what they'll look like. Maybe re-"_

Whatever Maou was about to think next was interrupted by the loud scream of a woman.

Eyes widening, the man got up to his feet, almost glaring at the door leading to the operating room.

"_It's starting!"_

Granted, devil technology accompanied by Velelana's natural toughness and endurance ensured that there would be no damage to her after childbirth, but a child would always react when their parents were hurt. This applied to almost all of the species in the world.

Rias seemed to have flinched involuntarily at the sound of her mother's cry, a special sort of despair coursing throughout her body.

"_No! Mother isn't actually hurt. Nii-sama told me that this natural during childbirth. Mother will be fine, and I'll have a new sibling! That's that!"_

Comforting herself, Rias approached the door.

Sirzechs merely walked up behind the girl and gently covered her ears with his hands.

He did not want his sister to hear this, no matter how pleasant the occasion.

A few screams later, a duration which felt like an eternity to the two siblings sitting outside of the operating room, the door finally opened, the light from within illuminating the dimly lit waiting room.

As the cries of the mother, which had transformed into pained moans instead of enduring screams, stopped, Sirzechs smiled, expecting the cries of the baby to come any second now.

The same happened with Rias, and those cries had begun one of the happiest moments of his life.

However, as the devil looked forwards into the room, expecting that delightful sound, all he heard was silence. Silence, and the increased rates of breathing of his parents.

"_No. It can't be that, can it?!"_

Assuming the worst, Sirzechs Lucifer dashed into the operating room, completely disregarding his earlier words to Rias.

"Mother! Father! How are they?! Has there been any problems?!"

Seeing the dilation in her son's eyes and the rapid increase in his rate of breathing, Venelana Gremory attempted to calm him down, cradling a small bundle in her arms. She was exhausted, but that wasn't an excuse to ignore her son.

"It's alright, Sirzechs. It's alright. Come and meet your new baby sister.

Eyes widening as he realized that the situation was not nearly as bad as he thought, Sirzechs Lucifer gave a sigh of relief, walking forward with a loving smile on his face.

Zeoticus Gremory, Sirzech's father and Venelana's father, frowned.

While the birth of his child, revealed to be a daughter, was joyful indeed, there was just something ominous about the whole situation.

Normally when a child was born, it would cry, either out of trauma from exiting the womb, or from separation from the mother.

Usually, that cry would signal the birth of the child, the metaphorical bells signaling its arrival.

However, even when Zoeticus took that baby in his arms, it did not cry out or scream. Instead, those small, but adorable eyes would simply gleam with adoration, as if it was saying hello to a brand new world.

The child's small, stick-like limbs desperately reached out for him despite their inherent weakness and the trauma exposed to them after birth, as if attempting to claim him as her own.

The devil had quickly returned the child to his wife, who was pouting at all the attention he was getting.

This behavior… it was unnatural, to say the least.

It was almost as if the child was intelligent, almost as if she…

No, Zoeticus would not think anymore about that. Even if there was something special about his child, he would conceal it, and wait until she was properly trained. After all, there were many people in the world who would attempt to take unusual powers for themselves. The relationship between Devils and Sacred Gear users was a clear example of this.

Also, there was something incredibly unsettling about the aura his child gave off. This was no doubt also sensed by his wife, but she probably just ignored it. Sirzechs was still recovering from his bout of worry, so he did not pay attention to this.

Moreover, she did not possess the Power of Destruction, which was the most peculiar thing. As a child of Venelana, who could pass this ability down from generation to generation, it was strange for her child to not possess it. Maybe the child's aptitude for the power was so small that Zoeticus could not sense it? In that case, would this not make his youngest child the weakest Gremory in history?

But even so, the girl was still his child, the same child he had with his loving wife. No matter how unusual she was, it was already preordained that Zoeticus would never stop loving the girl.

Still, as Sirzech's expression softened at the sight of his sister's cute smiling face, Rias all but sprinted into the room, crying out.

"Mother! Father! Can I see them?!"

Venelana smiled, holding out the small bundle of joy forwards.

"Fufufu. Yes, Rias. Yes, you can. Say hello to your new baby sister, will you?"

The redhead's glittering blue eyes seemed to shine even more as energy coursed through her body.

"It's a girl?!"

Even though her movements were energetic, Rias took her sister from her mother's arms with all the control and gentleness she could muster. Even if she was five years old, the girl was far from immature.

As Rias brought that small bundle of cloth closer to her face, her breath hitched, her eyes widening in joy.

Two eyes stared into her own, twin orbs of autumn orange.

Those eyes were completely filled with love. So much of it, in fact, that Rias almost looked away, shocked with the intensity of it all.

The girl could simply not resist running a hand through the baby's short hair, the same orange shade as her eyes. It was just so entrancing that Rias had thought she was put under some sort of spell.

At that moment, nothing seemed to matter. Not the appraising gaze of the doctor. Not the amused expressions on her parents' faces. Not even the gentle grin that Sirzechs wore.

All that seemed to exist was love. Love for her little sister, and the love that little bundle of joy gave in return.

It was as if the world ceased to exist, simply an ocean of adoration and affection. A storm of love where they stood at the center of.

At that moment, Rias Gremory felt her heart melt. It was as of something had awakened deep inside, something that made her stomach feel like a melting piece of valentine chocolate.

She would protect that feeling forever with everything she had, that was a subconscious decision Rias made.

Sirzechs, slightly irritated at the notion of his sister hogging his new sibling to himself, gently took the baby out of her hands.

"Now, Rias. It's not fair that you have all the time with our new little sister. You have to let me have a turn too."

Ignoring the broken and dread-filled expression on Rias's face, Sirzechs took a close look at his new baby sister.

Normally, he was a massive sis-con for Rias, but not in this situation. This was something that he wouldn't share, even if it was with her.

Those lively orange eyes seemed to peer into Sirzechs' soul itself, as if understanding every part of him, even the portions he didn't show to his own family.

Expression morphing into one of shock, Sirzechs was completely helpless as his baby sister put her fragile little hands upon his face, smiling brightly as she did so.

And in the next moment, the ironclad walls to Sirzechs' heart broke. Those same walls which could be only glimpsed past by his own family members were instantly shattered like glass, as if someone hit them with a battering ram.

"Nii Nii."

Venelana chuckled in joy.

"Ara ara, her first words!"

Sirzechs, being the Maou he was, became instantly charmed by the new addition to his family.

There were no words that could come from his mouth, as his mind could not formulate any that could properly describe this grand occasion. Instead, the devil hugged the little baby to his chest, gently rocking her about.

It was like Rias's birth all over again.

It didn't matter that his sister did not seem to possess any magical power whatsoever.

It did not matter that her appearance did not resemble her parents'.

It didn't even matter that she didn't seem like much of a devil at all.

In that moment, Sirzechs Lucifer… No… Sirzechs Gremory, swore that he would protect his new sister with his life.

Wordlessly returning his sister back to her parents, the speechless devil was somewhat close to tears.

His mother, gazing down upon her child lovingly, announced an important piece of information.

"We still have to name her, don't we?"

Zoeticus nodded absentmindedly while Sirzechs just smiled.

"Well, that's simple, isn't it? I'm sure that you both have the perfect name thought of already."

Venelana smiled, the same with Zoeticus.

It was as if the world itself called to them at that moment, relaying its will through their lips. The two devils did not know why they chose this name, but it just felt right. Sirzechs and Rias felt the same way.

"Ritsuka. Her name will be Ritsuka Gremory."

A Japanese name in this circumstance would be naturally strange, but that didn't seem to be the case this time. Considering how _right_ that name seemed to feel, no one objected. In fact, this feeling of justification was imbedded so far into their hearts that they did not even question themselves.

So, Rias, who had accepted the name with an excited grin, met her sister's gaze.

"Nice to meet you, Ritsuka! I'm your big sister, Rias!"

The baby seemed to coo at her, as if assuring the girl that her words were not unheard.

Rias smiled brightly at this.

Venelana began to gently rock her newborn back and forth, her family watching the process with massive smiles on their faces.

This was a true family moment, something sacred, and not to be interrupted.

However, just because something was sacred did not mean that it was protected, as the actions of the doctor would prove.

While the Gremorys were welcoming the new addition to their family, the devil doctor who had aided in Ritsuka's delivery finished his examinations, tests which would determine the health of the child.

And when those results were clear, that same doctor, sweat dripping down his neck, hollered to the Gremory Patriarch.

"Lord Gremory!"

Zeoticus scowled. Just who was this doctor to interrupt their important family moment? Normally, the devil would have been lenient on such things, but now was definitely not one of those times.

He responded with an annoyed shout.

"What is it?! Can't you see that we're having an important moment here?!"

The doctor seemed to gulp at the devastating aura that the family seemed to direct at him. Even the baby seemed to glare in his direction.

Even so, he had an extremly important report to make. Even if he was killed, the doctor had to relay this information.

"Your daughter…"

He gulped.

"She… um…"

The devil's tongue seemed to be tied, his mind thinking of ways saying what he was supposed to, and failing miserably.

"Ritsuka Gremory! She's! Ummmm…"

Zeoticus snarled, becoming even less patient than before.

"Eeek!"

The doctor, jumping in fright, desperately attempted to get his words through his frozen mouth.

"Ritsuka Gremory… she's... she's…"

Zeoticus was usually a kind man, but in this situation, where the stuttering Buffon before him interrupted his first moment with his daughter for seemingly no reason, he could not help but get angry.

Even the kindest of saints had limits to their patience, and Zeoticus was no saint.

A few more seconds, and he would tear this so-called doctor to pieces, or at least that was what he thought.

However, just as the devil was about to advance, magical energy charging up, the doctor finally stated the results of his test.

At this statement, the Gremorys' eyes dilated to their maximum limit, their minds unable to comprehend what was just said.

After all, how could something so bizarre, so utterly nonsensical, be true.

However, it was as they say. Truth is often stranger than fiction.

This was something that the Gremory family would have to accept, at least if they want to gove their new member a good life.

Crazy enough, the truth was the truth now, no matter how difficult.

Here and now, Ritsuka Gremory's life would take a drastic turn into a direction where no one could predict, at the uttering of a single sentence.

A single sentence, which decided her fate for the rest of her life.

"**She's human!"**

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And so, Fujimaru RItsuka's adventure begins anew, as the third child of the Gremory family. A human raised within a den of devils.

Now, the question was, who was in for a worse treat?

The devils, or the world-changing girl they would raise within their own realm?

**FTU&Y*&(PUHGFUR&(UGCGH&*)IUHGFUDTE^R%^*&(UHGFJRT*&(UHIGJFTYTY*UGYFTYR^&*&^*UIHUGYFUT^R%^&(U**

"_**+{}":?_AnD So, THe GAMe bEginS AneW_+{}=-[]**_

"_**{}{::KuKuKU_++{}**_

_**_+{}:"?JuSt WhaT WILL YoU Do, **_

_**FujiMARU RiTsuKa?!"{_+}"{}"**_

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Skill: Absolute Charisma EX(B+) _(Divine Right of the Protagonist)_

A skill that exclusive to Fujimaru Ritsuka for unknown reasons. Her overly accepting personality lures in all kinds of beings. Serial killers, saints, and even divine spirits are all affected by this skill. Only creatures with no mind, personality, or a plethora of human emotions are immune to this ability. Allows for the user to slowly win over the hearts of her friends and enemies by getting to know their personalities after a period of time. The grade of this skill has decreased thanks to Ritsuka's more nihilistic personality and her newfound unacceptance of certain people.


	4. Meeting Akeno

**Disclaimer, the Gremory family are not incestuous or infantophiles, or at least, probably not. I just go over the top with my writing sometimes**

**Oh, and don't get too triggered about the "skills" thing I put every chapter. **

**It's supposed to be a joke/omake I thought people would understand, but it's best to explain it to avoid confusion, since there is already confusion**

**Ritsuka does not have servant skills normally**

**She can take her servants' skills with her reality marble, but as a flesh and blood human being who is not a heroic spirit, Ritsuka does not have her own skills**

**That said, I'm going to keep putting these "skill" descriptions for the fun of it**

**I do this to mock protagonist stereotypes, harem king stereotypes, etc…**

**If I ever do a story of depicting Ritsuka as a heroic spirit, she will definitely have another set of skills**

**Honestly, it's just a joke...**

"_What in the actual hell is going on?"_

That was the question Fujimaru Ritsuka asked herself as she tossed and turned inside of an extremely compact and uncomfortable space.

She couldn't see, smell, or hear much of anything. Even her intelligence was extremly undeveloped.

It was a world of complete darkness and frustration. An extremly uncomfortable world at that.

As the former master gritted her nonexistent teeth, her body began to fume.

"_Great. I can't stretch my legs, I can barely move, and on top of it all, this place is wet and disgusting. Where the hell did you send me, you ginormous troll?!"_

Then, Ritsuka felt something. A sensation of extreme peculiarity.

Something akin to a mashed up wave of solids seemed to be going directly into her belly, through a… pipe?

"_Wow. Just wow. Ok, now I get it, you damned vampire. Now I get it."_

She had been reincarnated into the other world Zelretch spoke of. However, it seemed that Ritsuka had yet to be born. It wasn't that difficult to connect the dots. Besides, that blasted vampire would definitely do something like this to piss her off.

"_Yeah, I understand now. There's no escaping this, at least not without killing my new mother from the inside out. Oh well, I have to wait this out then…"_

As her fluid-covered body began to receive more and more food, Ritsuka cringed mentally.

"_Honestly, I'm kind of glad Jack never came back to the womb…"_

Musing to herself for a while, Ritsuka finally came to the conclusion that there was nothing to do but wait. All that could be done was to simply await the day of her birth.

And that was exactly what needed to happen.

And it certainly didn't mean that she had to like it.

As Ritsuka felt another pulse in her stomach, signaling another load of mashed-up "food", she winced.

No, she definitely did not have to like it.

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**5 months later**

If Ritsuka's previous environment was annoying to deal with, it was a thousand times more now.

Whatever kicking room that had been left from before was now completely gone thanks to her rapid growth. Therefore, Ritsuka was permanently stuck in a single position, which just did "wonders" for her aching body.

The girl, however, wasn't too concerned with this. She had adapted to this new form of suffering, and had formed the necessary mental defenses against its effects.

Or at least… that was what she wanted to say.

While Ritsuka's mental fortitude was strong beyond normal measure, she did not make too much use of it until absolutely necessary. Therefore, the months which have passed have been sheer and utter torture for her.

"_Nope! Screw you, Zelretch! I'm literatly about to kick my mother's womb open thanks to you! Are you happy?!"_

Granted, Ritsuka would never actually do something like that, but she had to vent somehow, even if it was through her thoughts.

"_Oh God! This is actually hell! I swear, this place is worse than Fuyuki!"_

Just as Ritsuka was about to start having a mental breakdown, her anger was soothed by a blinding light that could be perceived even through her underdeveloped eyes.

And then, salvation arrived.

After futilely kicking the walls of her living quarters for a while, it would seem that a response had been made.

"_If I remember correctly, I felt something 'break...'"_

And then, Ritsuka felt something pushing her, force exerting from the whole of her surroundings.

She inwardly grinned.

"_Finally! I guess I can actually escape that hell now. Honestly, I'm more relieved than that time when I survived Shuten messing around with my guts."_

And then, her head popped out, the light being exposed to her eyes in a dangerous transition similar to a flash.

"_Jeez, this burns! Well, it isn't as bad as that time in Lostbelt 6, but it's still bad."_

Ritsuka grimaced, her undeveloped eyelids opening.

"_Still, I should start looking around. It's not good to be unaware of my surroundings."_

Soon, her eyes adjusted to the light, albeit through a lot of pain.

"_Hmm, I can't see things clearly for more than two feet or so. Everything more than that is just a giant blur…"_

Just as Ritsuka was thinking that, the nurse who was helping with the delivery put her hands around the baby's fragile little body, gently pulling her out of the hole.

"_Tch. That hurts, damn it."_

Even if the nurse was extraordinarily gentle, it still felt as if Ritsuka's bones were being compressed into pancakes. That was without mentioning the sheer amount of pain she went through actually exiting the womb.

However, she couldn't complain too much, not when her mother went through arguably more pain than her in the delivery.

Therefore, Ritsuka simply shrugged the pent-up frustration off her shoulders. It wasn't worth holding on to. Although, the birth fluids present on her body were not a good combination with the chilling atmosphere of the room she was in. The baby couldn't help but shiver in both disgust and cold.

"_Now, let's see the faces of my new family. Am I rich? Am I poor? Do I have any siblings? I really can't wait to find out!"_

The world was a blur of abstract colors around Ritsuka. She could not make out any objects and people, only gigantic splashes of color.

The girl felt herself being gently cleaned before a cloth was wrapped around her. She was then transferred to a new pair of hands. Hands that just felt so… _warm_.

"_I haven't felt this in a while… Not since…"_

Visions of a rotting carcass filled the former master's mind, her nose suddenly overwhelmingly aware of the imaginary stench of rotting flesh.

"_... It would be better to not think more on that."_

As the warmth of those hands seeped into Ritsuka's skin through the cloth she was wrapped in, the girl was slowly lifted up, suddenly close to the face of her mother.

The first thing Ritsuka Gremory saw in this new world was the smiling face of an angelic mother, violet eyes staring into her own orange ones.

"_T-This is!"_

Feelings of familial love suddenly flowed through Ritsuka's body like electricity through a current, reigniting old memories long forgotten.

Perhaps it was simply from the instinctual emotions of her new body, imprinting this new woman as her mother. Perhaps Zelretch did something to her mind to make her like this.

In that moment, Ritsuka could not care less about any of that.

The person holding the former master… was undoubtedly her mother.

It was not a betrayal of Tohsaka Rin, at least she didn't feel like it was. These emotions were beyond Ritsuka's control, almost to the point where her body acted autonomously.

In a certain way, it was scary.

Ritsuka unconsciously let out an adorable coo, almost as if she was really a child under all of her adult memories.

This caused a pleasant reaction from her mother, which practically kickstarted the whole family meeting that would come next.

A red blur sprinted into the room, his voice full of worry. Judging by what was said, it could be deduced that this man was Ritsuka's new older brother.

Then, after that, she was picked up by a person who appeared to be her older sister.

When Ritsuka saw Rias for the same time, she could not help but marvel at her liveliness. It was endearing, almost like a combination of Marie and Illya.

"_Honestly, I'm pretty lucky to have such a good sister."_

She had smiled ar Rias, radiating her approval.

After that, the red blur appearing to be Ritsuka's brother picked her up, giving the girl enough leverage to see his face.

As she saw Sirzechs' face, Ritsuka did not think of his beauty or appeal. No, there were many others who could best him in Chaldea.

However, his strength was simply on a whole other level. Not Gilgamesh level, but quite high nonetheless.

Ritsuka's magic circuits weren't even opened yet, and she could feel the intense pressure radiating from his brother. He was probably restraining it too. Either this man was not human, or he was an extremly experienced hero with incredible amounts of talent.

"_An energetic sister and a strong brother, huh? Nevermind, Zelretch. I won't hold this one against you. Not this time."_

Almost speaking out of relief, Ritsuka had put her hands on Sirzechs' face, uttering her first words as to acknowledge the devil as her brother.

Somehow, she had started to develop emotions for her newfound family within a few seconds after seeing them. Yes, perhaps this could be blamed upon baby imprinting instincts, but surely that was not all.

Ritsuka was just innately attracted to her new parents and siblings. It was just that simple.

Although, even if that was the case, another problem arose.

"_Wait… just what are these people? Their aura don't feel human at all. They look, sound, and feel like humans, but I know that's definitely an illusion."_

Ritsuka pondered the issue.

"_Hmm, maybe some variation of fairy? No… way too specific… there are a lot of shapeshifting species out there, and narrowing them down is basically impossible based on the information I have."_

Ritsuka knew that she needed more information to make a meaningful hypothesis, so she was going to do her best to sort out her surroundings. However, she then realized an important thing.

"_Wait a minute… Hold on! Wait just a minute! ...if my parents aren't human, then what does that make me?! If I'm from an unholy species, then there's a high chance I can't use a lot of the weapons from my reality marble!"_

And then, as if right on cue, a man's scared voice rang across the room.

"She's human!"

Hearing that, Ritsuka almost breathed a sigh of relief.

"_Oh thank God for that!"_

Her new family, however, did not take it as well. No, judging by the paling of her father's face, it would appear that they definitely did not take it well at all.

However, Ritsuka had confidence that her new family would love her even if she wasn't a part of their species. The love in their eyes made this assumption concrete.

But still… just what had happened to her? And where the hell was she at now?

The irritated voice of her father rang across the operating room.

"I do not take lightly to these kinds of jokes, Kalthael! Everyone in this room is most certainly a **devil**! That is a concrete fact!"

Ritsuka almost choked on her own saliva.

"_D-d-d-d- devil?!"_

Only one image came to mind when Ritsuka thought of devils.

She thought about that damned Amakusa imposter in Shimosa, who got so overdosed on his own hate that he assumed that the god of another planet was Satan.

Nothing good came from that guy. Not him, and definitely not from his demonic swordmasters.

Therefore, Ritsuka, realizing what kind of situation she was in, panicked inwardly.

"_WHAT THE ACTUAL FUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU"_

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**Two Years Later**

Rias Gremory sat in the living room with her adorable little sister, who was currently sitting on her lap, a book open before them.

Ritsuka had been one of the best things to happen to her, practically the light of her life.

Rias didn't know exactly why she was so loving towards her little sister, but she just _was_.

Often, the girl would ask herself,

"_Is this what Nii-sama feels all the time?"_

Whenever she would bond with Ritsuka, something warm appeared in Rias's insides, something like a sense of fulfillment. It was strange and indescribable. All Rias could say was that it was good, and that she could not get enough of this feeling.

Also, seeing her sister's cute little pudgy face always puts a smile on her own.

Still, Ritsuka was strange in some ways.

She absolutely refused to play games or do anything someone of her age would want to do.

Whenever her parents or Sirzecks invited Ritsuka to do a fun activity with them, they were met with a simple, yet uninterested glance. The baby would not resist anything they did with her after that, but she didn't go along with it either.

Ritsuka loved them, but it would appear she had some kind of pride preventing her from entertaining their wishes.

However, there was one thing that the little girl had a need for. A simple source of entertainment, one that could be shared with the family.

That entertainment was reading.

While Ritsuka only seemed to appreciate the works of Hans Christian Anderson, just the fact that she was interested in something a girl her age should be interested in was a cause for relief.

She would sit on the laps of her family members, smiling gratefully when they began to read. It was quite endearing, actually.

It would even more endearing if the little girl didn't laugh and sigh at certain parts as if she was responding to personal jokes, but that was just taken to be one of Ritsuka's eccentricities, something she had in bulk.

First of all, Ritsuka never cried. No matter what happened, no tears escaped the girl's eyes.

Even when she was starving, the only sign they would receive was impatient tapping or the grumbling of a stomach.

Rias's parents were concerned, as something like that could possibly cause health problems in a human.

However, soon things became unbearably strange.

One time, Venelana Gremory had come to her baby's room, wanting to see Ritsuka again before going back to her duties.

What she found procured a cry from the devil as she ran forward to aid her child.

Ritsuka was found outside her crib, crawling on the floor with clenched teeth.

As the girl had strangely learned to walk without any aid, this sight may have been strange, as crawling was not something she did a lot of.

However, this time, it was not that she wouldn't walk. It was simply because she couldn't.

A drop of red, a stench of blood on the silken rug of the bedroom.

A single limb, bent in a direction so unnatural that the bones inside it must have snapped.

Ritsuka Gremory's undeveloped right leg had been mutilated, dripping small drops of crimson while the toddler desperately crawled for the door.

She had fallen out of the bed, attempting to use her legs to support herself. Unfortunately, Ritsuka landed on only one of them, snapping the limb under the pressure.

The girl was not even two at the time of this event, so her body was extremly fragile and weak to the point where it was laughable.

Venelana ran to her child, quickly cradling the small infant in her arms before casting healing magic.

The only thought on her mind was the safety of her daughter.

However, as the mother was about to comfort Ritsuka, she noticed something extremly strange on her daughter's face.

Normally, a child would cry immediately if their leg was broken. If it was a child at Ritsuka's age, then it wouldn't even be a question. They would be bawling their eyes out on instinct alone.

Then, if that was the case, what was this situation?

Why did Ritsuka, instead of crying or curling up in her mother's embrace, simply make an expression that showed nothing but annoyance?

It was as if the girl had gotten over the pain altogether, only vexed at the situation when she should have been traumatized like anyone else in her situation.

Venelana, disturbed by this, quickly informed her family the next day, expressing her worry of Ritsuka's apparent indifference to pain, not to mention her unusually high intelligence. She had somehow crawled out of the bars of her crib on those undeveloped legs, falling to the ground on one of them. How could a toddler even fall on their leg at that height?

Therefore, Ritsuka was constantly watched in shifts after that, either by the servants, her siblings, or her parents. That was the final decision of the "what to do about Ritsuka meeting".

That was a discussion that started six months ago.

A whole six months, and nothing had changed. Granted, Ritsuka did not try something like that again. However, this did not make her behavior any less unusual.

The girl had begun to say simple words, like "hungry" or "boring".

She was never immature or infuriating, staying on her best behavior in almost all situations. Even when she didn't, it would always be for the strangest of reasons.

However, that did not mean Ritsuka's interactions with her siblings and parents were not ideal.

She would genuinely act like a child around them, laughing and hugging enthusiastically. She would respond to their cooing in the cutest of ways, and her orange eyes practically declared those actions to be true.

The occasional reading session, cuddle sessions, and baths. Ritsuka seemed to enjoy all of those without a problem, sleeping with her family most of the time.

Even so, what made the Gremory family adore their youngest member was not her strange behavior. Yes, enthusiasm played a part, but the most important thing was not that.

Ritsuka was always kind, even at the age of two.

If she asked something and was refused, the girl would always ask why.

Granted, the Gremorys were not the ones who denied her the unusual things she wanted to purchase, but the servants. Most of the time, it was Sirzechs' wife, Grayfia, who had taken a liking to the girl also.

After Ritsuka asked why her demand was refused, the servants would always respond with a comforting tone, talking about things they thought she wouldn't be able to understand.

They even prepared to comfort the girl for any tears she may shed for the rejection, as children underwent many tantrums under a certain age.

Those servants were pleasantly surprised.

Ritsuka did not act spoiled or entitled at all, responding to their questions with short and simple words, expressing her understanding of the circumstances.

Grayfia had been surprised one day, when Ritsuka asked to acquire an extremly expensive jewel from the human market.

She had asked the girl what that jewel would be used for.

"No... tell... Suprise..."

This had been the answer to her question. An answer she could not accept.

Therefore, she had refused her sister-in-law's demand. She expected a tantrum or a wailing session. She thought that such a thing was only natrual, and was prepared to handle it maturely and professionally.

She did not expect Ritsuka to cutely run over to the garden and pick a white rose from a nearby rosebush.

Somehow, the girl was not pricked at all, even though she had been gripping the rose's stem, albeit lightly.

"Sorry! I'll explain next time!"

Ritsuka said this with a bright smile on her face, handing out the flower to Grayfia, who simply stood in shock.

"_Is she truly two-years-old?"_

Her son had been born last year, and he was nowhere this intelligent.

However, as Grayfia looked at the sincere kindness radiating from Ritsuka's expression, she dropped that line of thinking.

After all, not even someone as stalwart as she could resist the incredible cuteness of Ritsuka Gremory.

The maid had hugged Ritsuka before she knew what she was doing, inciting an adorable "uwah!" from the girl, which just caused her to tighten her grip.

Needless to say, that rose remained in her bedchamber for a long time, preserved by a porcelain vase.

It was a gift from her adorable sister-in-law. Grayfia just couldn't get rid of it.

Sirzechs had smiled, calling her out on being softer than usual.

That was one of the few occasions Grayfia blushed.

There was just something about Ritsuka Gremory that was just captivating for everyone around her. It was almost impossible to dislike the girl, and everyone who knew here found themselves entangled in her life in some way.

Soon, in just two years after her birth, Ritsuka was the most popular topic amongst the servants, each maid often gushing over how adorable she was.

Everyone in the Gremory family was uplifted by the new member of the family, their behavior changing for the better.

Sirzechs, after working long hours, now came home to spend time with his son and youngest daughter. He no longer complained about the paperwork, as coming home disintegrated his fatigue instantly. Grayfia was extremly lenient on this, as she understood exactly what Sirzechs felt.

After all, she was the one who would spend her free time reading together with Ritsuka, letting the girl sit on her lap.

Those round little eyes swept across the letters before she could even read them, almost as if she could understand exactly what was written.

That wouldn't even be surprising, considering how intelligent the girl was.

Rias, immersing herself in games and Japanese entertainment before, had now reduced the time she spent on such things, using that time to bond with her little sister. Sometimes she would talk about manga or anime, other times cuddling. Whatever it was, Rias always felt incredibly happy with her younger sibling. Ritsuka was one of the most important things to her.

Somehow, the Gremory family would always have time for Ritsuka, no matter where they were at. The youngest child would find herself at the center of attention most of the time, her needs attended to by many servants, almost as if she was some sort of queen.

Honestly, it was quite annoying for her.

As someone who preferred to do her daily tasks with her own power, Ritsuka was extremly frustrated at the current situation. However, as her undeveloped body was too weak to do any of those things, she let it slide.

The girl was too intoxicated by her new life to behave anything less than pleased.

She had accepted the roles of her new family, seeing them as such.

She loved them with all her heart, seeing the amount of time and energy they would spend on her. Of course, this applied to all the servants there too. Ritsuka had started to address Grayfia as "auntie", which had made the woman excuse herself for a few minutes to hide the charmed expression on her face. As the head maid of the Gremory family, she could not afford to come out publicly about Ritsuka's cuteness. Doing so would ruin her reputation.

However, that did not apply to the rest of her family, unfortunately. Every single one of them was filled with adoration, so they always talked about her.

It was endearing, but vexing. After all, Ritsuka was a twenty-one year old at heart. She didn't exactly appreciate being treated like some sort of unintelligent midget.

Within the Gremory mansion's walls, Ritsuka was rumored to be a kind child who wouldn't even kill a fly. There have been whispered sightings of the girl apologizing for taking the lives of insects she stepped upon in the past.

This kind of behavior simply caused her family members to swoon over her even more, as kindness was a virtue even amongst devils.

She quickly befriended many of the people she met, seemingly incapable of becoming frightened or hurt.

With eyes radiating intelligence unnatural for a child her age, Ritsuka would brighten the day of anyone she came across.

A kind and ingenious child adored by all, she was almost rumored to do no wrong, even in the Devil underworld.

She would even take the blame for actions she did not do, as shown when an older girl next to her threw a stone through an old lady's window.

Naturally, as if on instinct, Ritsuka took the blame immediately after the woman came after them.

"I threw it."

She said this with the most passive look on her face, as if it was only natural that she did so.

Of course, the old lady, knowing Ritsuka's reputation and the look of guilt on the other child's face, patted her head and walked back to her house. Fortunately, she was very kindhearted.

Ritsuka turned her head backward to smile at the girl she had protected, as if she had done nothing wrong. That smile did not show any signs of blame, no matter how righteous it would be.

"It's too nice of a day to be throwing rocks at windows, don't you think?"

As the older girl's eyes began to glimmer in wonder, Ritsuka simply walked next to her, grabbing her hand.

"Come on, let's go to my house. You can tell me why you were mad enough to throw that rock later. I'll ask the maids to prepare some tea."

The older girl, stunned by this sudden generosity, could only allow her body to be pulled along in shock.

However, she recovered seconds later, thankful for Ritsuka's assistance.

Stopping to talk, the older girl asked,

"Wait! Can you tell me your name, at least?!"

Ritsuka smiled, pulling her along as soon as the question was asked.

"I'm Ritsuka. Ritsuka Gremory. Nice to meet you."

The older girl bristled. Her mind blanked for a moment before realizing what had been said.

"Ritsuka Gremory?! As in the little sister of Sirzechs Lucifer?! The devil rumored to be born a human?!"

It was honestly surprising if someone could not recognize such an iconic figure in Devil society. Everyone knew that the most powerful devil always doted on his little sisters. Even if that fact was ignored, the generous reputation of the youngest sibling was rarely unheard of.

Therefore, the older girl gained new insight into the situation. She began to look at her new acquaintance with much more respect.

Ritsuka shrugged.

"Yep, that's me."

She said this nonchalantly, as if her position was simply something to be scoffed at.

"Now, since you know my name, can you tell me yours? I want to call you by an actual term, you know?"

The older girl gulped. She had just thrown a rock into an old lady's window. Revealing her name now would simply bring shame to her family name.

However, it would only be courteous to give her name now, as Ritsuka had done it already. Regardless of Ritsuka's human nature, it would be an insult to not give her name to a member of the nobility.

Choosing the lesser of the two evils, the older girl ran a hand through her blonde curls, announcing her name haughtily. She had to save her reputation while she still could.

"I am Ravel Phenex, the fourth child of the Phenex family. It is a pleasure to meet you, Gremory-sama."

Yes, the youngest child of the honorable Phenex family was just seen throwing a rock into the window of a poor old lady. That would do wonders for her reputation. Honestly, what kind of noblewoman does something so uncouth?

"_Please don't laugh! Please don't laugh! Please don't laugh!"_

Ravel was practically begging in her heart that her savior did not condemn ber actions as being unfit for nobility.

Of course, Ritsuka being Ritsuka, the result was completely different from what she expected.

"Phenex?! The Phenex family, possessing the power of immortality?! Can you tell me how it works?! Oh! Also, how do you make Phoenix tears?! Is it possible to mass-produce them?!"

Ravel, caught off-guard by the rapid-fire questions asked by Ritsuka, stumbled backward, a bewildered look on her face.

"_W-What?! She's not going to ask me why I was throwing a rock at someone's house? She won't even scoff at my actions? What kind of noble is this?"_

As the seemingly endless stream of questions finally ended, Ritsuka backed off, face bright red from excitement. She attempted to catch her breath so that she could breathe properly again.

"Let's discuss this at my house, Ravel-san. We can have a nice chat there."

The Phenex turned her head away, still insecure about her earlier actions.

"Are you going to tell my parents what I did?"

She said this in a low voice, afraid of the answer she would receive.

Ritsuka, seeming to know this, gripped Ravel's hand with both of hers. Considering noone was hurt and the minimal amounts of damage caused, her answer was already set in stone.

"Fufufu. No, of course not. Let's just make this a secret between the two of us, ok?"

She was considerate, almost too considerate. Indeed, covering up a harmful act is not something Ritsuka should have done. However, the act in itself was not too bad, and Ravel seemed to be more troubled than the woman she threw the stone at. Therefore, it wasn't too immoral to keep this little secret.

Ravel, as if struck with lightning, bristled in surprise.

"Really?"

Ritsuka smiled and nodded, bringing her face close.

"Yep. I won't tell anyone, not even my siblings! So cheer up, alright?"

There was no prank going on here. Everything Ritsuka said came straight from her heart, devoid of any falsities.

Stunned even more by this, Ravel could only nod numbly as she was pulled along into the Gremory manor.

This marked the beginning of a great friendship, a friendship that would last many years to come… or so you would think.

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It had been four years since Ritsuka was reincarnated into the Gremory family. Four whole years of powerlessness and weakness.

Well, it wasn't as if she minded that much. Just about everyone was kind and peaceful so far, so there was no real danger to herself nor her family.

Ritsuka's new parents were very kind and gentle with her, although overly cuddly. She did not really dislike this, but worried that it would damage their reputation.

Sirzechs was the most reliable assistance in Ritsuka's current life, acting as a protector, political backing, and deterrent for anyone who may have unpleasant intentions for her.

Well, she actually didn't know who those antagonistic people were, but there had to be at least some in devil society. Every civilization has its bad apples, that was a common rule for society.

Ritsuka was extremly thankful to her brother for his protection, and acted lovingly towards him as a result. Still, his obsessive nature left her exasperated sometimes. He would definitely fulfill her wishes even if they were completely unreasonable. That was certain.

Rias was just the same wonderful sister she had always been, accompanying Ritsuka in whatever she wanted to do. She was not overly intrusive, but very caring. One might say that she was sometimes like a second mother, immediately fussing over every injury Ritsuka had shown up with.

Of course, the former master did not need any of her fussing. She had a hand shoved up her stomach in Shimosa, stabbed through the chest three times by Kirei, and had limbs severed countless times over her journies.

A few scratches and broken bones would not do much to worry Ritsuka.

However, it would appear that her family was adamant on being extremly careful in everything.

In her self-imposed training exercises, Ritsuka would sometimes strain her muscles and fracture some bones. However, with her near-perfect human body, those injuries would heal in no time.

Even so, Venelana always gasped whenever she saw Ritsuka's drops of blood on her clothing and awkward shifts in posture, scrambling to apply healing magic to her. Several of those times, the mother's eyes dripped with tears.

Well, part of that was indeed Ritsuka's fault. After all, fighting for two years with your life on the line could make you lose sight of common sensitivities.

Many times, the injuries Ritsuka would get during training would be slash wounds revealing the very whites of her bones, the twisting of limbs to the point where they looked like grotesque tentacles, and brutal rib-fracturing impacts.

But Ritsuka was used to all of that. She had operated so many times with those kinds of injuries that she didn't really pay them any mind anymore. Now, with her perfect body, these injuries would heal on their own within weeks. However, Venelana's magic did aid in a quick recovery.

Of course, soon after Ritsuka had begun to gain these wounds, her outside freedoms were greatly restricted, as it was realized that the girl had been sprinting to the woods in her spare time and erecting brutal and unforgiving traps for herself.

Rias almost got a very nasty surprise the time she ran after Ritsuka, almost hit by a sharp, swinging log hidden from behind a tree.

That was one of the only times when Sirzechs truly became angry towards Ritsuka.

However, it soon became apparent that no matter how much training Ritsuka did, she would never be able to reach the desired level without the aid of her magic circuits, which were woefully unawoken under her physical body.

Luckily, the girl had been born with the Tohsaka crest, however impossible that may be, and was able to utilize the prana within them to kickstart her own ones.

The only problem? Ritsuka was not an expert at awakening magic circuits, and the ones particular to her were many in number, not to mention strong beyond measure.

Normally, it would only take a certain amount of mana to open the circuits for the first time, but that was for regular, weak circuits.

If such an action was to be likened to the opening of the door to a corridor, then Ritsuka's circuits would be a gigantic vault, sealed shut by a titanium hulk of a gate.

The amount of prana needed to open such circuits would be as potent, if not more so, then the activation of a powerful noble phantasm.

Normally, Ritsuka would not have access to such power, but in this case, she did, in the form of those same circuits.

"_So… I'll just use every ounce of prana in my Tohsaka crest to open a single circuit, and use the power in that circuit to open the others. If my crest isn't enough to open the first one, then I'll just use the prana I've accumulated in my jewel."_

Ritsuka had asked for a ruby pendent from her parents in the past. They assumed that she wanted the jewel because of its beauty, but it would actually be used as a prana dump for future projects.

"_Still, I have to open three-hundred of them… I know the process will get quicker the more circuits I have access to, as they will generate more power… still though… this process will definitely be painful, and I don't want to alert my parents too much…"_

To open circuits such as hers, Ritsuka would have to run a ridiculous amount of prana through her body. The sheer concentration of it may quite literatly set her on fire.

"_Yeah, I want to open them in controlled circumstances, maybe when I'm a little older?"_

Nodding, Ritsuka agreed with herself. It was still far too dangerous and suspicious for her to open the circuits right now.

Maybe in the future, she would do it. But now, it was not the time. Things were not desperate enough that she would need to do such a thing.

Still, Ritsuka had both Sirzechs and the rest of her family to protect her. Some devils had attempted to take advantage of her humanity, but the Lucifer had threatened them all into submission.

The political advantage the Gremory family had was so intense that not many could oppose it. The only ones who had that capability, the rest of the Satans, were all well-acquainted with Sirzechs, and had good relationships with Ritsuka. Sona and Serafall Leviathan both doted on her, and Ajuka Beezlebub was always amused at her intelligence and kindness.

In other words, there was no threat, and certainly no hurry.

Ritsuka still had plenty of time to enjoy with her family. Sure, later on, she would have to set out and strike against the beings who would cause the world's destruction.

However, that did not mean that she could not have a normal childhood. Ritsuka already saw the Gremorys as her family, and nothing would change that now.

But… then again...

**Since when could Fujimaru Ritsuka **_**ever**_ **get what she wants?**

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Ritsuka woke up to the comfortable scene of her comfortable bedroom, rising from her luxurious bed, dyed in crimson.

She rubbed at her eyes, ready to change from sleepwear into regular clothing.

Looking around her closet, Ritsuka pulled out a one-piece dress, embroidered with jewels.

It was clothing fit for a nobleman, something Ritsuka did not really like, as it limited movement.

However, this article of clothing was actually the loosest one she could find, so there was no room for complaint.

Grinning, Ritsuka grabbed a bright ruby pendent from her bed counter, putting it on over her dress.

This pendant was charged with two years' worth of prana from the Tohsaka crest. It was supposed to be a last resort, to be used when Ritsuka was in a real pinch. However, she would have to save it now to activate her magic circuits.

That, or she could just find a leyline. If she could get one of those, then everything would be fine… probably...

Walking over to her mirror, Ritsuka sat down, combing her hair for the day, humming as she did so.

Suddenly, a knock on the girl's door interrupted her humming, resulting in the rise of an eyebrow.

"Come in!"

The door opened, revealing a young maid, green-haired and smiling.

"Gremory-sama. Breakfast is ready."

Ritsuka nodded, continuing to comb her hair.

"Ok. Tell Dad and Mom that I'll be there in five minutes, Sarah."

The maid's eyes widened before she smiled warmly.

In a household as large as the Gremory's, it would only make sense if the number of servants was proportional to its size. Therefore, it would be extremly difficult for anyone to remember all of the servants' names. Even Sirzechs, kind as he was, could not quite accomplish this.

However, Ritsuka could somehow overcome this hurdle with ease, memorizing the names of every single servant in the household alongside their individual traits.

They thought that she was simply a kind and compassionate genius. Ritsuka knew better.

She had memorized the names, histories, quirks, personalities, and abilities of over three-hundred heroic spirits. A few butlers and maids were nothing compared to that.

As the maid walked out of Ritsuka's room, the girl smiled.

"_Ah! Another great day! What should I do? Hang out with Millicas? Ravel? Maybe Onee-san?"_

Ritsuka was deemed too young for school at the moment, despite everyone knowing that her intelligence was far above average.

She could communicate with no problems, and discuss complicated matters with adults. There were not a lot of individuals who underestimated her anymore.

Still, she had become more childlike over the years, realizing that her body's needs were different from her minds'.

Ritsuka was no longer hesitant to play with her friends and family, engaging in games of tag and hide and seek without any problems.

It was quite pleasant for her family members, who finally saw their youngest member act her age.

Ritsuka, chuckling at humorous memories, departed from her room, having finished dressing up.

Walking down to the dining room, she smiled at her assembled family members, happily running up to the table.

Taking a seat beside Rias on the long dining table, Ritsuak began her breakfast with a silent "itadakimasu' before grabbing a fork and a knife.

Zoeticus responded to her presence with a loving "good morning". Venelana and Sirzechs simply smiled, the cute eager expression on the girl's face enough to appease them.

Rias abandoned her breakfast altogether, instead wrapping her arms around Ritsuka's little body and resting her head upon the girl's own.

She looked so content that Ritsuka didn't have the heart to tell her off, simply sitting there, immobilized.

"_Onee-san… could you please let me eat?..."_

Venelana chuckled at this, gesturing at Rias to stop.

"Come now, Rias. Your sister won't be able to eat her breakfast if you cuddle with her so much."

Rias, knowing this to be true, let go of Ritsuka before tilting her head down and letting out a depressed sigh, almost like some sort of light drug withdraw.

"_Am I a narcotic now?"_

Ritsuka, smiling lightly, comforted her sister with a hug before digging into her plate of sausages, causing the older girl to suddenly sit up, ramrod straight, and begin eating with a satisfied expression on her face.

The family did not make much more conversation after that, content only to be in each others' company.

However, that changed when Rias, who had abruptly finished her meal with great gusto, sprinted out the door, announcing;

"Oh! I almost forgot! I have to introduce you to my new peerage member!"

Knocking aside the gate leading outside the room, Rias almost took the head off an unfortunate butler, who had been entering the room at the wrong time.

Ritsuka got off her seat immediately, offering a hand to the fallen man.

"Are you ok?"

She asked this apologetically, as if she had been the one to knock him over.

Quite frazzled, the butler replied,

"N-no, Ritsuka-sama. I am quite alright. Thank you for your concern."

The girl smiled.

"Good. I'm glad…"

Her family members watched, proud of her kindness.

And then, Rias sprinted back into the dining room, dragging along a black-haired girl in a miko uniform. She looked quite confused at the situation.

"This is Himejima Akeno! My new peerage member!"

Zoeticus and Venelana were confused while Sirzechs simply nodded. Grayfia, who was standing beside him, narrowed her eyes at the new girl, causing her to shrivel back with fright.

The miko looked around the room, surprised at the new faces, especially at the young one right in front of her.

"H-hello. I'm Himejima Akeno. I-it's nice to meet you…"

For a moment, there was only silence. That silence was soon broken by Ritsuka, who couldn't help but ask a shocking question.

"_Oh, I can't help but tease them."_

"Are you going to be my new sister-in-law, Akeno-san?"

The miko and her mistress frowned in confusion for a moment before their faces flushed red in realization.

Rias waved her hands about in denial, shaking her head vehemently.

"No, no, no! Where did you even hear about that kind of thing, Ritsuka-chan?! A-Akeno and I are just friends! W-we're not in that kind of relationship!"

The miko had shrunken into herself now, her face resembling a ripe tomato.

Sirzechs chuckled. Perhaps he thought that the question was genuine, perhaps not. Either ways, it was extremly humorous to him, just what he would expect from his youngest sister.

Ritsuka seemed to lower her head in disappointment.

"Oh… I thought I would be getting a new nephew… I'm sorry, Onee-san…"

The devils were well known for their gender-surpassing technology...

Akeno blushed so hard that steam rose from her ears.

Rias, on the other hand, was frantic in her attempt to appease her sister, so much so, in fact, that she lost her voice of reason completely.

"Wait! Wait, Ritsuka-chan! Never mind! I was lying!"

She scratched the back of her head, eyes dilating in desperation.

"Akeno and I are actually _really_ in love! We're practically married already, hahaha! In fact, we've already-"

Rias paled as Venelana coughed, giving a smile that promised nothing but death if another word was spoken.

Again, there was an uncomfortable silence in the air, broken by the same child, for the second time.

"Say, Onee-chan… where did you find Akeno-san? Don't tell me you kidnapped her?"

Now, Sirzechs intervened, as his bishop had already informed him of the situation with Akeno.

"Now, Ritsuka-chan. That is a private matter. One that Akeno will not share until she is ready for it."

The girl, nodding in understanding, looked into Akeno's downcast eyes, grasping the situation immediately. After all, those were the eyes she made herself after the death of her former mother.

Stepping forth wordlessly, Ritsuka hugged Akeno, only tall enough to reach her waist.

This seemed to cheer her up. The older girl smiled and patted Ritsuka's orange hair, careful not to mess up its style.

"I understand. I won't ask again."

Akeno smiled again.

"It's fine. I'll tell all of you, when I'm ready for it."

Ritsuka, sporting her own smile, backed away from her sister's friend.

She sniffed the air for a second, and frowned.

One of the things Fujimaru Ritsuka had inherited from Emiya Shirou was his sense of smell. That trait had carried on to her new life.

Now, she smelled something strange on Akeno, something similar.

"_...Kiara?"_

Indeed, the smell coming from the girl in front of her was similar to Sessyoin Kiara, but nowhere near as pronounced.

"_Hmm… what could those two have in common…?"_

"Akeno-san… can you come closer for a second, please?"

The girl nodded, approaching her.

Akeno was only a guest in the Gremory household. She did not want to be rude to the people who had taken her in, no questions asked. Besides, she had taken an immediate liking towards the child before her.

As Akeno stood before Ritsuka, the smaller girl gestured for her to lend a ear.

The former miko obliged, bending forwards and offering the girl her ear.

As Ritsuka leaned in to whisper in Akeno's ear, she apologized.

"I'm really sorry if I'm wrong about this, but I would still like to test it. Don't worry, Akeno-san. This won't leave a mark."

And then… before Akeno could ask what she meant, Ritsuka moved her head to the crook of the older girl's neck with the efficiency and precision of a viper.

The miko felt a sharp pain in her collarbone, immediately moaning, as the masochistic side of her could not take the simulation.

Ritsuka withdrew her mouth, which had bitten Akeno's collarbone, licking her lips.

"Oh! You're an M!"

Venelana's eyes narrowed, worried about the source her daughter had encountered this information from.

Akeno became flustered once more, almost falling to the ground if not for the supportive hand Ritsuka put around her waist. That hand was extraordinarily strong for someone as young as her… then again, someone that young wouldn't know what an M was either…

Rias simply stood behind Akeno, jaw dropped to the floor as she observed her sister's shenanigans.

Zoeticus choked loudly as his part of his half-chewed salad threatened to make its way into his lungs.

Ritsuka simply looked at the stunned Akeno, exclaiming,

"You should have told me earlier so I could have accommodated your needs! We have some extra clean knives in the kitchen, so you won't get an infection at all! Don't worry about the paper towels, I'll lend you some of mine. Oh! If you're more into conventional methods, I can go out and buy some _toys_ for you! I'll have to erase some memories, but it's a small price to pay for a new addition to the family!"

Ritsuka was not just accustomed to normal masochism, but _Kiara_ levels of masochism. Therefore, her expectations were a little bit… severe...

Akeno was stunned, and not at the first part.

"Y-you think I'm a new addition to your family?"

Ritsuka chuckled.

"Of course! Onee-sama likes you a lot, and I personally think she's a great judge of character!"

And then, Venelana's cold voice interrupted the conversation, sending shivers down Zoeticus and Sirzechs' spines.

"_Ritsuka-chan… from where did you hear of such things?"_

The devils were far more lenient on perverse and sexual behavior than their human counterparts. However, Ritsuka was still four years old, and that kind of knowledge was not meant for her just yet.

Therefore, Venelana, who was rightfully overprotective of her youngest daughter, was not glad for such a thing.

Ritsuka blushed, twiddling her fingers together.

That time she had summoned Kiara, the corrupt bodhisattva had taken it upon herself to show her master a "good time". Needless to say, such things were certainly not to be described to Ritsuka's new mother, especially not when she was four years old.

Still, Venelana seemed to take this reaction as the worst case scenario, flaring her power of destruction so much that her aura completely eradicated a part of the dining table.

Sirzechs frantically called out,

"Calm down, Mother! Ritsuka-chan just heard of it from a book, right?"

Ritsuka nodded frantically, as she did not want the dining room to be further erased.

Venelana seemed to calm down at that. However, she still remained threatening, not quite appeased enough.

Sirzechs sighed in relief, Ritsuka following suit.

Akeno was now sweating rivers, terrified at Venenlana's power.

Rias tried to change the subject, laughing nervously.

"Say, Akeno, why don't I show you around? You're going to be living here, after all."

The miko, relieved that she was not being oppressed by that terrifying power, nodded frantically in agreement.

However, seeing this, Ritsuka frowned.

"_I smell… something other than human from Akeno-san… Interesting… Let me try to confirm it."_

"Say, Onee-san… can you let me show Akeno-san around? I want to get to know her a little better."

She made those puppy eyes that all children could make. It was extra effective on Rias, who adored her so much.

Zeoticus agreed, calling out.

"Yes, Ritsuka-chan. That's a wonderful idea. Moreover, Rias still has uncompleted homework from a whole _two weeks_ ago. She must stay with us here to discuss how such a _tragic occurrence_ came to be."

The older girl paled, ignoring the sight of her sister and friend walking out of the dining room.

How would she explain that she spent all of that time reading manga instead of doing homework?

**IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII**

Akeno and Ritsuka walked along one of the many hallways of the Gremory estate, the older girl tried to make conversation.

Normally, she would try to be more watchful of her words, as Ritsuka was very young, but it was quite clear that the little girl was far more intelligent than she seemed.

"Ritsuka-chan… can I call you that?"

The girl nodded.

"Sure."

Akeno smiled.

"Then, may I ask you a question?"

Ritsuka raised an eyebrow.

"Sure."

"What kind of person is Rias, exactly?"

Ritsuka was not quite surprised at this. Akeno would be practically offering her soul to Rias soon. It was only natural that they should know each other well.

"Why don't you tell me your impression of her first? Then we can compare."

Akeno nodded. That was not something a four-year-old would say, but no four-year-old would ever actually talk like Ritsuka, so that was natural. The girl was so mature that Akeno forgot she was a child halfway during their conversation.

"Well, I'm very greatful to Rias for saving my life. She gave me a place to stay here and to become her friend without any hesitation. I think that she's very kind and welcoming, and I'm not particularly opposed to becoming her servant."

Ritsuka chuckled.

"Sounds like Onee-san alright. Well, Akeno-san, if you're so sure about this already, why are you asking me about her?"

Akeno twiddled her thumbs together.

"W-well… I want to know more about Rias, so I can be a better friend... "

Ritsuka's eyes widened. She was astounded.

"_So innocent… well… then again, she's only nine."_

So, Ritsuka elaborated on her thoughts about Rias, to appease the older girl's curiosity.

However, she had underestimated her own love for her sister, and said some things that were actually appropriate for her age.

"Onee-san is the best big sister in the entire world! She's really nice, really pretty, and really talented!"

Akeno chuckled, seemingly to finally realize Ritsuka's actual age.

Bending down to pat the little girl's head, the former miko was pleasantly surprised with a cute purr.

"_She likes headpats?"_

"You love your big sister a lot, don't you, Ritsuka-chan?"

The girl smiled, showing all of her compassion.

"Yeah! I do! And you'll love her too!"

Akeno smiled wider, not quite stopping in her pats.

"Yes. I believe I will."

Akeno initially had her doubts about becoming a devil, but now… maybe it wouldn't be that bad after all.

**IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII**

A day after Akeno met Rias's family, she was sent to the human world along with her mistress.

The Gremorys wanted the girl to buy a set of clothes, and decided that it would be better to have her purchase them from humans. Maybe they could get more from the devil shops later, but Akeno was not integrated into their culture just yet, and having her wear her only set of miko clothing was not a good idea.

Unfortunately, Rias did not have any clothing for Akeno because of her size… or rather, the size of her chest region.

And Ritsuka, who wanted to form a better relationship with her sister's new queen, asked to come along.

It took a lot to persuade her parents, who did not want their daughter to venture into a new world.

Mostly, they were afraid that Ritsuka, who was a human, would become seduced by human culture and leave their side. It was the selfish side of the two devils, a side that was soon appeased by Ritsuka's puppy eyes.

They could never seem to resist those.

Now, Rias, Akeno, and Ritsuka were in the city of Kuoh. More specifically, one of its malls.

"Now, Akeno, I'll let you explore this place a bit. Pick what you like with the allowance given to you. Oh, and take Ritsuka-chan with you. She said that she wanted to go with you after all."

Normally, Rias would never agree to be separated from her younger sister, but in this case, Ritsuka had specifically asked her beforehand to be left alone with Akeno.

And against the request of her younger sister, there was just nothing Rias Gremory could do.

So now, Rias went off on her own, probably to buy the newest manga they had at the store, while her sister and friend went to buy new sets of clothing.

Now, passing by a busy shoestore in the spacious mall, Akeno asked Ritsuka,

"Ritsuka-chan… I've sensed something different on you… that is… if you don't mind me asking…"

Ritsuka did not respond, almost as if she had been anticipating the question.

"Are you a human?"

"Yes, I am."

Akeno was shocked. She had a ridiculous hypothesis, but never thought it would prove to be true. In that case, how would it even work? Had the Gremorys…

"Oh, it's not what you're thinking. I was just born like this, and noone's figured out why. Still, my family loves me just the same. They're a little overprotective, but that's because I'm very fragile to them."

Ritsuka chuckled lightly.

Akeno frowned. Even if what Ritsuka said was true, how was that possible? The union of two pure-blooded devils, resulting in a human? Even if basic biology was ignored, such a thing was definitely not possible.

"Well, you can imagine the scene after I was born. People tried to ridicule the Gremory house, saying that my mother and father had been disloyal, that they had been engaging in rituals, or simply being weak. Thankfully, Nii-san took care of all of that."

Akeno nodded, shuddering.

She had felt the oppressive aura of Sirzechs Gremory when she was on his good side. She could not even begin to imagine the man when he was truly in opposition to someone.

"Well, that's enough about me, Akeno-san. Let's hear about you."

Akeno's eyes widened.

"Hmm?"

"I sensed a strange aura from you earlier. You weren't a full-blood human, right?"

Noticing Akeno's discomfort, Ritsuka quickly backtracked.

"Oh, I'm sorry, Akeno-san! If that's too private, you don't have to tell me!"

The former miko simply patted Ritsuka on her head, sad eyes radiating acceptance.

"No, Ritsuka-chan. It's alright."

The little girl sighed in relief, glad that she had not intruded on personal territory.

"I am half fallen angel."

She froze.

"Eh?"

Akeno continued.

"My father was a fallen angel, and my mother was a miko of the Himejima clan. They fell in love and had me, but their union wasn't quite appreciated by the clan…"

Ritsuka's brain shut down for a whole second before restarting.

"_An onmyoji… with a fallen angel?! Really?"_

Fallen angels, to Ritsuka's knowledge, were not entities that were prevalent in her former world. She was shocked when she read that they were one of the major factions in the world, but accepted it.

However, to marry a Japanese magus? A European angel?

Such a crossing of territories was nonsense in Ritsuka's old world… then again, she wasn't in her old world anymore, was she?

"_Well, I can certainly see why their relationship wasn't accepted. The onmyoji were never the accepting sort… Still, I kind of feel sorry for Akeno-san now."_

Ritsuka had originally accompanied Akeno to learn more about her, just in case there was something malignant hiding within the girl's body. Ritsuka had smelled something inhuman on Akeno, and prepared for the worst.

Normally, Ritsuka was quite laid back, trusting to most.

However, when it came to her new sister, whom she loved very much, there was no way she could be lax in caution.

It only took a single glance to tell that nothing Akeno said or did was false. Ritsuka had far too much experience to be mistaken in such fields.

However, the smell on her body could have represented something foreign and unconnected from her consciousness, which could be dangerous.

When Akeno became a demon through the queen piece, she lost the ability to oppose Rias Gremory. However, who was to say that another, separate consciousness within her body was not exempt from that contract?

Therefore, Ritsuka was glad to see that her suspicions were misplaced.

"_I think we'll get along just fine."_

She was humming now, thinking of all the things she would do to welcome Akeno into the family later.

"_Ah! Should I introduce her to Millicas? It would be good for him to see a new face now and then. Maybe Sona-san? No, Serafall-san would proba-"_

Ritsuka's eyes widened, limbs tensing.

"_Killing intent?! Multiple sources… Hmm… I see. We're being followed."_

Ritsuka had been through far too much to be unable to sense simple killing intent.

Looking over to Akeno, who was obliviously picking through a rack of clothes, Ritsuka cursed.

"_Concealing magecraft, strong enough to escape detection from her?"_

Bluntly speaking, Akeno was an absolute prodigy. Her mana reserves were not too far from Rias's, and her power was overwhelming if trained properly.

Therefore, to have stealth capabilities able to escape her senses, the enemy was not as weak as preferred.

Silently grabbing Akeno's hand, Ritsuka dragged the girl outside the building, sprinting to where she knew Rias was located.

Ignoring the look of absolute confusion on Akeno's face, Ritsuka dialed her sister's number on her phone, praying that it would connect.

"What is it, Ritsuka-chan? Why are we running?"

The girl was ignored. There was no time to explain. The enemies were already on their tails, and they probably came with the intent to kill.

"_Are then after Akeno? Or are they trying to take me for ransom?"_

Continuing to sprint, Ritsuka cursed as her phone struggled to connect.

There were multiple opponents, and the girl did not know if she could handle them all at her current capacity.

She cursed even louder as the phone malfunctioned in her hand, shutting down, probably due to some unknown interference.

Suddenly, Ritsuka noticed that she had run straight into an abandoned street, devoid of people, as the shadows behind her shifted and broke, revealing the forms of ten men.

They were dressed in traditional Japanese attire, tags of paper in their hands.

Akeno's eyes seemed to widen as she saw them, suddenly aware of what Ritsuka had been trying to run from. She berated herself for not sensing what was wrong and picking up the girl and sprint forward herself.

These were the onmyoji of her former home, followers of her uncle, the head of the Himejima sect.

"Why are you here?! Uncle has already agreed to leave me alone! Does the Hinejima sect truly condone such acts of oathbreaking?!"

Sirzechs's bishop had come to an agreement with the head of the Himejima, securing Akeno's safety. However, she did not appear to be as safe as previously thought.

A man in the group, perhaps their leader, snarled in fury.

"Oath? A pact with a disgusting demon is no oath to us!"

Akeno was taken aback. Such hatred was uncommon, even within her sect.

The Himejima certainly hated all the biblical factions, but not to this extent.

"You, the pure representation of our shame, our mistakes. How our leader has not removed your putrid existence from this world is beyond me. But we will not show you that same mercy!"

Shouting fanatically, the man almost appeared to be insane.

"But uncle has not approved of your actions! You are violating his orders!"

Another member of the assault force bristled before biting back,

"An abominable existence such as yours has no right to talk of our leader!"

He activated one of his paper talismans, glowing with yellow lightning.

Just as he was about to throw it, Ritsuka sprinted in front of Akeno, holding out her arms as if trying to protect the older girl.

"No! Don't hurt Akeno-san!'

It was a childish thing to say in the situation, but as of the moment, Ritsuka was indeed a child.

The leader of the onmyoji group was taken aback, as if just now noticing her existence.

"A human child?"

His eyes wavered for a moment before they burned with fury once more.

"No matter. If you defend the filthy creature behind you, you are no better than her."

He did not say anything else before throwing all six of his talismans, each glowing with the power of a different element.

Akeno's eyes widened as she quickly pulled Ritsuka behind her, taking her own talisman from inside her miko attire.

"_T-they would really attack a small child?"_

Activating the talisman, the miko projected a golden barrier in front of her, blocking all of the enemy attacks.

"Run, Ritsuka-chan! I'll hold them off! Get help! Get Rias!"

Ritsuka responded back.

"No! You're my sister's friend, which means you're my friend! There's no way I can leave you!"

Akeno's eyes widened. She did sense some trace of magic from the girl, but it was nowhere as much as hers. Ritsuka would not be too much of a helper in this fight, or so Akeno thought.

"No! You have t-"

The miko's eyes widened as Ritsuka was nowhere in sight. Directing her eyes back in the direction of her enemies, Akeno beheld a sight that would change her impression of Ritsuka Gremory forevermore.

The girl's legs were covered with glowing blue patterns, carrying her forward at a speed unachievable by mortal humans.

She was heading straight for the enemy leader, who narrowed his eyes, taking out an ofuda.

Ritsuka cursed again.

"_They're not that strong, but they're not weak either. I might have to convert my nerves into magic circuits for this. Maybe I'll even have to use my jewel."_

Ritsuka did not have access to her circuits, but she was somehow born with the Tohsaka crest. Using the circuits within the family crest, it was indeed possible to fight, if just a little.

Picturing the image of an Azoth sword in her mind, Ritsuka utilized her former father's magecraft.

"**Trace on."**

Suddenly, a shortsword, the length of a gladius, was in Ritsuka's hand, burning with azure flames as she ran her prana through it.

Tracing was a process that required the user to be familiar with the construction of the object copied, from molecular structure to the elemental composition of the materials.

Unfortunately, Ritsuka did not have the overpowered power to "see" weapons' origins like her father.

Therefore, she could only trace a small number of weapons. However, the useful tool of her magecraft mentor, Paracelsus von Hohenheim, was quite familiar to her.

Ritsuka had studied the sword-like wand for quite some time, and she was able to trace it after a while.

As the enemies threw their talismans at Ritsuka, she let her combat experience take over, reinforced sword slicing talismans out of the air, the prana in the weapon disrupting the projectiles' magecraft.

She was only a few steps away from her target now, the man too slow to move away from her attack.

He swung his ofuda forward, activating magecraft which would give the weapon slicing capabilities.

However, the man found his target to be beyond his league, as the arm utilizing the slicing attack was batted to the side by a reinforced limb, disrupting his blow before it could even begin.

He did not have another moment to think as the flaming shortsword was shoved into his heart, killing the man instantly.

He was not well versed in close quarters combat. This factor, combined with his underestimation of Ritsuka's appearance, resulted in his downfall.

Lifting the dead onmyoji's corpse with one hand, Ritsuka dashed to her next target, using the body of her fallen foe as a shield.

"Why you!"

Another onmyoji screamed in anger at the treatment of his fallen comrade, throwing forth a plethora of talismans.

"_Normally, I wouldn't kill these guys… but mercy is the privilege of the strong. Right now, I am most definitely not strong."_

Ritsuka dispelled her Azoth sword, tracing three black keys in her free hand.

She threw them forward, destroying three flying talismans, but shattering in the process.

"_Those things move as fast as bullets, so I guess I can't dodge them reliably. I'll have to intercept or block then."_

Ritsuka threw her dead meatshield forward as three talismans impacted it at the same time. The dead man's body convulsed and charred as it was hit by a flame and lightning talisman before being frozen solid by the ice talisman.

The former master charged up a weak Gandr shot in a fraction of second, sending it towards one of the onmyoji who were preparing their weapons, cursing him with weakness and penetrating his chest, not quite reaching the heart.

Seeing five other men ready to throw their talismans at her, Ritsuka smiled.

"_It's a good thing I studied the inner workings of a grenade a year ago."_

In her new life, Ritsuka would sneak to the library on a daily basis. After all, there was no real worthwhile training she could do. She had studied a book about grenades for a time, seeing that it may be helpful.

The girl traced the military grenade in her hand, pulling the pin and tossing it to the feet of the attacking onmyoji.

Their eyes seemed to widen as they exchanged their offensive talismans for defensive ones, conjuring barriers around themselves as they were engulfed by an explosion.

Ritsuka looked ahead at the four onmyoji she was charging at, assessing the talismans that were already in the air.

"_If I reinforce my body, I should be able to take them. After that, I kill them and move on to the next group."_

It was already established that the range-focused onmyoji would not be able to defeat her in close quarters combat.

Therefore, she had to get close.

Ritsuka saw the first flame talisman coming for her with reinforced eyes, traced an Azoth sword, and cut the attack apart.

The second talisman, one of ice, was avoided with a quick sidestep.

However, the third, a lightning talisman, was already far too close to dodge or block.

"_Alright. This is the easiest one to endure. I just have to take the electricity head on until it runs out."_

What was one talisman compared to the electricity of Nicola Tesla? The world-shaking lighting of emperor Ivan? The overpowering thunderbolts of Zeus?

It would be nothing, and it would be treated as if it were nothing. That was what Ritsuka decided.

However, as the talisman was closing in on Ritsuka, a golden barrier appeared before her, reducing the attack to harmless particles of electricity.

Ritsuka smiled as Akeno held up a barrier talisman, eyes brimming with resolve.

It was not surprising that she took this long to react. Only three seconds had passed after all.

Ritsuka was just very well adapted to fast-paced combat situations. The inexperienced former miko could not be blamed. Therefore, Ritsuka was glad for her help.

Ritsuka stepped past the barrier, slicing open the neck of the onmyoji she finally reached, and threw newly-traced black keys into the shadows of three enemies, immobilizing them.

It was one of the abilities of the weapon, one that was easily dispelled, but invaluable in battle.

Ritsuka never stopped casting reinforcement magecraft on herself as she dashed towards the three onmyoji, hiding behind them to avoid the enemy projectiles.

One of the men found their heart pierced by a fluid stab from Ritsuka's blade, another had their throat split open with a sideways slash, and the last had his head sliced right off of his body.

"You brat!"

The other onmyoji, enraged at the further loss of their comrades, redoubled their efforts.

However, Akeno was ready for them now, throwing forth a hail of lightning talismans that electrocuted three of them.

However, even as she did so, the rest of the onmyoji could not focus on her, not when there was a child-sized missile speeding towards them with the intent to kill.

These men, the last of their group, knew that there was no chance for victory anymore. Therefore, they took out teleportation talismans from their robes, attempting to escape.

Seeing this, Ritsuka's eyes narrowed as the last vestiges of her dwindling prana swelled in power for the purpose of one last burst.

"I won't let you!"

Her legs curled and uncoiled like twin pistons, launching Ritsuka forward with more than enough force to pop most of the blood vessels in them.

Let it be known that the last master of humanity was not one to fight while taking care of her body.

Ritsuka found herself approaching the speed of sound as she shot forward, tracing another Azoth sword in her free hand.

She reached the onmyoji in an instant, momentum-boosted slashes administered to their chests with the sound of metal splitting flesh and bone.

Those injuries would be enough to incapacitate, but not kill, leaving the enemies perfect for interrogation.

And with that, the opposing force was completely repelled.

However, Ritsuka was not satisfied with the results.

"_Geez, I know I don't have any of my magic circuits, but I didn't think I would be this bad. Ten small fries at the level of your everyday magus, and I couldn't even take them down without this amount of strain. Maybe I should activate my circuits soon…"_

Akeno was running towards Ritsuka now, almost in tears. Her eyes were on Ritsuka's bloodied legs, on which the blood vessels had popped like pimples.

Blood was running down them now, dripping to the stone-carved ground with a pitter-patter sound. Ritsuka didn't even seem to realize it.

"Ritsuka-chan! Are you ok?!"

The girl replied with her best smile.

"Yes. I'm fine. What about you, Akeno-san?"

The other girl's eyes darted across Ritsuka's body, searching for injuries, and finding none except for the blood running down her legs.

"Yes, I'm fine! But you're not! Honestly! What were you think-"

Ritsuka, with the last of her prana, reinforced her arms to push Akeno out of the way, the miko skidding across the cobblestone streets with a confused expression on her face.

"Ritsuka-chan! What are you do-"

The older girl's eyes dilated as they met with a pair of merciless orbs, belonging to an old man in an onmyoji uniform.

"-ing?"

The man looked towards Akeno dispassionately while Ritsuka…

She simply stood there, eyes wide, as a katana pierced her chest.

"Ritsuka-chan!"

Akeno may not have known the girl for too long, and her latest show of force may have been an unusual sight, but Ritsuka was still a child, not to mention Rias's sister.

For a child to take that kind of injury… it was something Akeno could not accept.

Besides, the former miko had taken a liking to Ritsuka, and seeing her hurt genuinely made Akeno worry.

"Akeno."

The calm voice, originating from the old man, struck Akeno like a bucket full of ice.

The girl froze, tensing her body in shock.

"Himejima… Kaioh?"

The man before her was one of Himejima Suoh's trusted lieutenants, a master of onmyoudou-style swordsmanship, and a powerful man, preserving his life for two whole centuries through sacred rituals and blessings.

Himejima Shuri had always thought of the old man as a stoic follower of orders, and a wise individual.

To think that he would directly disobey the words of the Himejima head. It would seem that Shuri had judged him very poorly.

"Do not utter my name with your blasphemous mouth, fallen scum!"

The old man did not truly shout, but his dark tone made it seem like he did.

"Why?... Why are you doing this?"

Kaioh snarled.

"Isn't it obvious? I must remove your taint from this world. Your kind are all the same, just like the fallen that butchered my wife through dishonorable means, you will plot with the wretched devils, planning the fall of our clan. That will not be allowed! Not while Himejima Kaioh still draws breath!"

Ritsuka grimaced behind the man.

"_Personal grudge, huh? Normally, I would try to reason with him. But this time, I don't have the power to do that. It's either he dies, or we die. I do have a hole in my right lung, after all."_

Kaioh pulled out a glowing talisman from his robes, throwing it forward before Akeno could even attempt anything.

Surpassing the speed of sound, the talisman struck the miko, diverging into five chains that pinned Akeno down.

Even when the girl struggled with all her might, she could not shatter the chains. Even when she called upon her uncontrolled and unreliable devil powers, she was still unable to break free. Such was the strength of Himejima Kaioh, advisor of the Himejima clan.

Getting to her feet with great difficulty, Ritsuka stood between Kaioh and Akeno, her arms wide open once more.

She was having difficulty breathing and keeping conscious thanks to blood loss. Even so, humanity's last master would not fall, for she did not have that right.

Speaking through a pierced lung, every word was laced with blood, every syllable, consuming precious moments of Ritsuka's life.

"Don't… hurt… Akeno-san…"

Akeno's eyes dilated at the sight of the ever-expanding pool of blood beneath Ritsuka, knowing that she would not survive for much longer unless her wounds were treated.

This was a four-year-old girl. She should not have to go through this, or so Akeno thought.

Kaioh, on the other hand, seemed to disagree, giving Ritsuka a burning glare.

"You, who have slain so many of my comrades… I do not consider you a child anymore, simply a target to be exterminated. Therefore-"

A fist was launched into Ritsuka's chest, shattering three ribs and almost rupturing several organs.

Kaioh was a man who valued his subordinates, and his wrath over the deaths of his men was more potent than his hesitation to harm a child.

The girl fell to the ground, coughing up a great deal of blood, bone shards mixed into the crimson liquid.

"_If I didn't reinforce my chest, my organs would have been compressed to paste. If my body wasn't near perfect, I would have died! Who the hell is this guy?"_

He was far beyond her current level, and so far beyond Akeno that it was laughable.

Akeno screamed out, desperately trying to destroy her bindings.

The old man simply started to walk forward again, his eyes on Akeno.

To her credit, the girl did not even seem to notice the massive amount of killing intent directed towards her, more worried for Ritsuka than anything.

And as Kaioh raised his katana to administer the finishing blow on Akeno, he found a single, small hand, firmly grasping his leg with a grip of iron.

Turning back his head, his eyes were met with twin orbs, burning with determination.

"Let go."

Ritsuka could not form any words anymore, so she simply continued to grip the man's leg.

Eyes narrowing, the old man's katana was lifted into the air with a reverse grip, causing Akeno to widen her eyes in fear for Ritsuka.

The sword came down, piercing through the girl's wrist, embedding itself into the ground. Ritsuka's tendon was now severed, so she was unable to move that arm anymore.

Wincing in pain, the girl wrapped her other arm around Kaioh's leg, causing the man to narrow his eyes even further.

"_Damn! I may really have to convert my nerves! Shit, that could cause permanent damage, but I don't really have a choice right now!"_

All it would take would be five artificial magic circuits. Five, and Ritsuka could summon Artoria into herself and heal back to perfect condition with Avalon. A golden apple later, and Himejima Kaioh would learn what it meant to be on the opposite end of the greatest holy sword in human history.

Kaioh lifted his other leg methodically, placing it with deceptive gentleness upon Ritsuka's good arm.

Akeno, realizing what he was about to do, burst into tears, practically begging him not to do it.

She was only nine after all.

"No! Please don't! Don't hurt her anymore! You can kill me, so sto-"

Her words went unheard as the old man's leg went down like the piston of a machine, slowly but surely crushing the bones in Ritsuka's arm into dust.

The little girl could not help but let out a pained yelp at that.

Akeno was halfway through tearing herself apart against the chains now, trying her hardest to block out the crunching of bone from her ears, to no avail.

"No! Leave her alone! It's me you want, right?! Just stop! Please!"

The sounds of crunching bone did not stop, and Kaioh was deaf to her words.

Akeno thought that she would go mad. Perhaps that would be the better alternative.

Becoming mindless would be much better than being forced to witness the torture of her new friend…

Ritsuka was almost whimpering now, the pain finally getting to her. Her pain resistance was strong, but not that strong.

"_Ow, ow, ow, ow, ow! That hurts, you bastard! Ok, I don't have much more time to spare! I'm going to pass out from blood loss in less than a minute! Nervous system, your sacrifice will be well-appreciated!"_

And then, Ritsuka felt it.

They all felt it.

The crushing pressure.

The malevolent aura of oblivion.

The fury of a being that could rival the gods themselves.

Kaioh broke into a nervous sweat, every muscle in his body tensing in the face of the imminent danger which would befall him.

Akeno, being much the same, could only sob in relief in the face of salvation.

Ritsuka… well, she just smiled.

"_It doesn't look like I have to activate them after all."_

Turning her head towards the new approaching entity, the girl felt her eyes brimming with tears.

The child in her was almost forcing her to cry, but the adult held the urge back.

After all, the presence of a big brother was always comforting, was it not?

"_Yes! We're saved!"_

Trembling with pure anger, a red-haired man walked forward towards Himejima Kaioh.

His eyes were twin pits of furious flame, his surroundings distorting in the face of his overwhelming power.

The world itself seemed to be chipped away, like a pencil drawing that a child had attacked with an eraser.

Long hair flew about in the face of a tectonic aura, crimson red acting as a premonition of a grusome fate.

And then, the world was thrust into the void.

As Sirzechs Lucifer glared at the offending foot of Himejima Kaioh, his voice came out as a booming declaration, a promise of true oblivion.

"_**WHAT THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING TO MY LITTLE SISTER?"**_

And then, Ritsuka Gremory blacked out, finding herself welcomed by the comfortable darkness of unconsiousness.


	5. Resolution

Sirzechs Gremory was most definitely a sis-con.

His wife knew that. His parents knew that. His friends knew that.

Hell, even his three-year-old son knew that.

Therefore, would it truly be too much of a stretch to expect the devil to watch over his sisters when they went by themselves into a potentially dangerous environment?

No, it would not.

Even so, Thanks to earlier begging from Ritsuka, Sirzechs did not leave for the human world for a while.

However, his thin layer of self-restraint broke after thirty minutes, and the devil sped off into the human world with great zeal.

"_What if they're hurt?! What if they've been kidnapped?!"_

While Rias seemed strong to many, Sirzech knew better than anyone just how weak she was right now. They had tried to spar once, but Rias had been so afraid of his power that he never tried it again.

Sirzechs did not want to see his little sister's terrified face directed at him.

While normally, the devil's thoughts would be the unnecessary and overly dramatic ramblings of an overprotective brother, they were the words of salvation for Ritsuka Gremory this day.

Then again, perhaps not.

But it was most certainly the best thing to happen in this situation.

When Sirzechs entered the human world, the first thing he did was to search for the magical presences of his sisters, flying over the city of Kuoh at altitudes that even airplanes feared to approach.

"_Alright. Rias is safe. Thank goodness for that. Now, Ritsuka, where are y-"_

He sped off, jet-black wings propelling his body through the air at Mach 5, directly towards Ritsuka's location.

Sirzechs' eyes were wide, the devil panicking inwardly.

"_Her magic signature! It's weak! And what is this foreign aura I'm sensing? Why is it so close to her?!"_

And then, Sirzechs Gremory assumed the worst.

"_No, no, no, no! Hang on, Ritsuka-chan! Big brother is coming!"_

And then, he reached Mach 10. An aura of destruction spread across Kuoh, erasing everything around the devil.

Whole buildings were toppled, and entire streets were reduced to nothing.

However, noone died, as Sirzechs would not kill the innocent that readily.

Eventually, the devil reached his sister's location, a mere twenty meters away.

A single pained yelp broke his heart.

And then, the crunching of bones entered Sirzechs' ears, causing him to freeze and tremble in sheer anger.

His eyes, resembling twin pits of oblivion, centered around the broken and mangled form of his youngest sister, her arm crushed by the arm of an old man.

At that moment, Sirzechs was not ashamed to say that he lost control.

In the world, there were many other threats that would put Himejima Kaioh to shame.

Dragons, gods, and unexplainable lifeforms.

During his long life, SIrzechs had killed many of those creatures, gaining the title of "top 10 strongest beings in the world".

However, even when he faced down all of those opponents, Sirzechs thought that he had never been as battle-hungry then he was right now.

As the devil's eyes moved down to Kaioh's foot, pinning Ritsuka's crushed arm to the ground, he grit his teeth so hard that he feared they would shatter.

"_Unforgivable."_

There would be no mercy for Himejima Kaioh, only oblivion.

Sirzechs would be sure to erase the man's entire existence, even his soul.

And as the devil's eyes met with the shocked orbs of his opponent, not feeling the least bit sorry for what he had done…

His vision went red.

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Akeno's hair obscured her vision as a blur of red tackled Himejima Kaioh into the nearest building.

Shockingly, there as no sound of destruction. No noises of shattering glass, stone, or wood.

Why?

That was because Sirzechs Gremory's power automatically erased everything around him to a level surpassing even atoms.

There was no resistance, not even air resistance, as even that had been wiped from existence.

In fact, the only reason Himejima Kaioh was still alive was because Sirzechs wanted him to _feel_ his end.

Even so, the old man felt his body deteriorating, the molecules making up his mortal body forever sent to the void in streams of oblivion. Even his soul was being slowly destroyed, the forces of erasure encroaching on it akin to a child slowly munching on a snack.

Sirzechs, now an embodiment of unchained fury, flew into the air and threw Kaion into the ground with a furious roar.

The man landed with the force of a small meteor, the impact shattering his ribs and fracturing his spine. Only sheer luck saved the back of his skull from dispersing into fragments.

It had been less than a second after Sirzechs appeared.

Kaioh, who now knew that he had no option of winning, snarled, spitting out a glob of blood.

He held out his katana in a defensive stance, attempting to put up one last burst of futile resistance.

There was no chance for victory now, not when that monster of a devil was here.

However, the old man did not regret his decisions to the end, only woeful that he could not remove the perceived threat to his clan.

He was supposed to assassinate Himejima Akeno covertly, so that the devils could not track his actions to his clan. After all, Sirzechs Lucifer was one of the primary leaders of devil society, and the plan targeted the queen of his little sister.

And everyone knew how much Sirzechs doted on his little sister.

Kaioh felt more dread than he had in a hundred years as a realization came to him.

There was the possibility that a war could erupt between the devils and the Himejima clan.

Sirzechs Lucifer, on his own, could single-handedly wipe out the debatably weak clan.

What would happen if he was backed by an army?

Serafall Leviathan, Ajuka Beezlebub, not to mention all of their peerage members.

Okita Souji, prodigy of the Shinsengumi. Heines Corneales Agrippa, genius magician and inventor. Surtr, the grand giant of fire.

The entire clan would be crushed in a single day.

Kaioh closed his eyes, apologizing with the last of his strength.

"_Suoh-sama… I have failed you."_

And then, a fist impacted against the man's head with the force of a tank round, throwing him straight through four buildings.

The man collapsed, knocked out cold.

Sirzechs snarled in frustration, regaining control of his own bloodlust.

The void seemed to condense around him, tossing his hair into the air as if gravity itself was reduced to nothing.

"_**Not yet. I can't kill you… not yet."**_

Sirzechs, even when he was furious enough to obliterate a whole country, refused to worsen the situation any further.

Seeing the two men Ritsuka had spared, he sighed.

"_It would be better to have more prisoners to interrogate…"_

However, the devil snarled immediately afterward.

"_But if they're here, then I don't need to preserve that bastard's life. He's done too much to be allowed to live!"_

And then, Sirzechs' eyes flared, walking forward with a conjured orb of condensed destruction in his hand.

And then, he froze at the cries of a young girl.

"Ritsuka-chan! Ritsuka-chan! Please wake up! Please!"

Akeno had broken free from her binds while Kaioh was preoccupied, rushing to Ritsuka's side in an attempt to heal her.

Unfortunately, her healing magic was not enough to repair grievous injuries, so the girl simply ripped pieces off of her robes to act as bandages, knowing that they only delayed the problem instead of solving it.

Akeno sobbed in despair, cradling Ritsuka's body to her side.

She had not known Ritsuka for long, but it was long enough to form an attachment, seeing that she was just a child herself.

Ritsuka had proven herself to be a brave and faithful friend when she charged into battle for Akeno's sake, but that also meant that she was hurt for Akeno's sake.

Therefore, if Ritsuka died, Akeno would never be able to forgive herself.

She was the one who attracted her attackers, meaning that her new friend would be just fine if she had not befriended her.

The trauma of her mother's death only worsened the situation for Akeno, making it much more heartbreaking, as she was being forced to watch another loved one die.

Sirzechs, realizing that his anger had blinded his vision for Ritsuka's current state, paled, his heart sinking.

In an instant, the Lucifer stepped to his sister's side, moving so fast that a gust of wind threatened to tear Akeno's hair off of her head.

Sirzechs saw in an instant that Ritsuka was unconscious, so he assessed her wounds.

"_Punctured lung, severed tendon, crushed arm, and burst blood vessels in legs. Not good. Not good at all."_

Focusing healing magic into his hands, Ritsuka glowed green before her wounds healed partially.

The hole on Ritsuka's lung became less pronounced, but it was still there. Her popped blood vessels healed instantly, as if they had never been injured in the first place. Her severed tendon reconnected itself, and the shattered bones in her other arm pieced themselves back together, not quite healing completely.

Sirzechs' eyes widened before he bristled in anger.

There was something… very surprising in RItsuka's body.

He was already making full use of his wartime calm, allowing him to operate at full efficiency even in stressful situations. However, an unknown variable which threatened Ritsuka's life was not something he could just accept lying down.

There were abnormalities in Ritsuka's spiritual body, something strange and unusual, unlike any other human Sirzechs had ever seen.

Healing magic was a craft that allowed the user to peer into the physical and spiritual physiologies of others, urging the cells of their damaged tissue and bone to reknit together, granted the user provide a steady stream of magical energy to assist such a process.

However, most beings in the world had two portions of their body, physical and spiritual.

The physical portion was the part that any organism could interact with, and if damaged, sometimes corresponded to the spiritual portion.

The spiritual part, on the other hand, was something completely inaccessible to physical organisms without the aid of magic or other abilities.

One massive downside to this brand of magic, however, was its notoriety of affecting both the spiritual and physical bodies, the energy inputted into both parts at the same time, as they existed at the same location, but were different, almost like the mirror image of a parallel dimension.

Sirzechs had lived for over a thousand years, fighting in a massive war along the way, so he knew the human body like the back of his hand.

And what he observed in Ritsuka's spiritual body was unlike any other human he had ever seen.

The girl's physical body was the same as any other human girl, albeit being much higher quality. It was one of the girl's many mysteries, her perfect body. The Gremory had visited many ancient saints and wise doctors to answer the question to why their daughter was human, and one of them observed that Ritsuka possessed a body not inferior to that of Eve's.

It was shocking information, but not that unusual when compared to Ritsuka's racial identity, so the Gremory took it in stride.

However, even if Ritsuka's physical body was near-perfect, it was still human.

However, her spiritual side was strange, frightening, almost.

Normal mages, devils, and humans possessed something in the center of their spiritual bodies called a magic nucleus.

It was a glowing orb of energy in the middle of the spiritual body, size and brilliance showing the magical aptitude of the individual.

The magic nucleus channeled power from the spiritual body to the physical body, specifically the brain, allowing the magic-user to use its power through their mind via imagination, calculations, faith, etc.

It showed different effects under different magic systems, but the concept was all the same.

The rest of the spiritual body, unused by the nucleus, was empty, devoid of anything.

Or, at least, it was supposed to be.

However, Sirzechs saw something much different in Ritsuka.

Three-hundred lines were spread across her spiritual body, connecting with all of her limbs, leading back to a center of white-hot power, in the likeness of a small sun.

The lines seemed to be akin to electric currents, but they were enormous, almost to a grotesque level. However, they seemed to be dormant, devoid of magic power.

Sirzechs, as he observed Ritsuka's spiritual body, almost choked in shock.

The space which he was so used to being empty, was now filled to the brim with those complex circuit-like _things_.

It was shocking and honestly, quite disturbing. However, Sirzechs quickly chalked it up to being one of his sister's eccentricities, ignoring the implications of such a thing.

However, even if he did that, he could not ignore the actual ramifications that would have on his healing. If his magic power affected the circuits in Ritsuka's spiritual body, there was no telling what would happen.

Sirzechs simply had a sinking feeling in his gut about this, and if it was one thing he learned in the war, it was always to trust his instincts.

Those patterns in Ritsuka's body were akin to sleeping dragons. Awaking one would most definitely have severe repercussions on her body.

Therefore, Sirzechs did what he could, treating Ritsuka lightly in a way that would not touch those circuits.

However, that left a lot to be desired, as her injuries were still critical.

"_I must get her to mother. She has more experience than I do, and will know how to heal Ritsuka-chan without agitating those circuits."_

Akeno stepped up to Sirzechs' side, eyes hopeful.

"Is she going to be alright?"

Sirzechs' voice cracked for the first time in years, his wings appearing behind him in an instant.

"Yes, she will be. I am not experienced enough to heal her completely, so I will take her to mother."

Akeno's eyes were determined now. She wanted to do something for the girl who might have possibly saved her life.

"What can I do?"

Sirzechs nodded, accepting Akeno's determination.

"Go tell Rias what happened. Tell her to come back to the underworld immediately. There may still be other enemies present in this city.

Akeno, eyes stern, nodded before running off towards Rias's location.

Eyeing the surviving onmyoji in revolted contempt, Sirzechs flew forward, cradling Ritsuka in an arm before slinging the fallen enemies onto his shoulder like sacs of potatoes.

The Lucifer flew into the air, heading towards the nearest entrance to the underworld.

"_Everything will be ok, Ritsuka-chan."_

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Venelana Gremory was having quite a nice day. Her annoying husband was in the family study, doing paperwork, while she was reading a nice book in her office, unimpeded by any distractions.

It was one of the only times she would find leisure in her busy life, but such was the burden of having three children, even if she would not trade them for the world.

_Lord of the Rings_, as it turned out, was a very entertaining book, detailing many adventures that Venelana couldn't help become entranced towards.

When it was approaching the climax between the Balrog and Gandalf, Venelana's smile was turned into a frown as her locked door was knocked upon, quite rudely if she may add.

It appeared to be a matter of urgency, so Venelana sighed, removing the lock.

Her son, disheveled and wild, burst into the room like a demon of old, aura of destruction spreading everywhere, erasing several pieces of furniture and many pages of important documents.

Venelana sighed in exasperation, unamused at her son's appearance. His uncouth entrance was forgivable, but a scolding was certainly due.

Therefore, Venelana opened her mouth.

"Sirzechs! You are one of the four pillars of the underworld! You can't just-"

Her gaze traveled downwards towards Sirzechs' arms, more specifically, the tiny, barely moving thing cradled within it.

"Just…"

A sinking feeling entered the mother's gut as her knees suddenly grew weak, the book falling out of her hands and onto the floor.

Sirzechs Lucifer turned towards her, presenting the near-dead body of her youngest daughter.

"Mother, please! I can't heal her alone!"

And then, Venelana Gremory's perfect day shattered into a million pieces.

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"_This can't be happening."_

This was what Rias thought as she dashed through the Gremory estate, Akeno following steadily behind her.

Entire corridors were destroyed due to her energy outburst, and servants were pushed to the floor thanks to her speed. However, Rias did not care. She would apologize later. There were more important things to deal with right now.

Akeno had told her what had happened… well, a skimmed-down version of it, and Rias had immediately unfurled her wings, bolting for the underworld.

The miko followed, of course. She also wanted to see if her savior's life was assured.

Rias's breathing had grown frantic when she heard the news, dropping all of her bags to the ground and letting out an uncomprehending "eh?"

And then, her heart began to pump blood throughout her body at dangerous speeds, flushing the girl with adrenaline.

"_How could this happen?! It was just supposed to be a shopping trip?!"_

And indeed it was. However, Rias, with her nine-year-old mind, did not plan for the situation appropriately, even if she could not be truly faulted for her decisions.

The three of them were not nearly strong enough to fend off a serious enemy attack, so it would have been much better to ask for a bodyguard to accompany them.

However, Rias had wanted something private between herself, Akeno, and Ritsuka. A bonding session, if you will.

Kuoh was a devil-controlled town. Every faction knew this, and they were supposed to keep their presence there low, or completely nonexistant, unless they wanted to suffer the repercussions.

Who would have known that a group of dissenters from a traditionalistic clan where mutinies and rebellions were unheard of, would foolishly invade devil territory with a handful of stealth troops and target the family of one of the Underworld's most influential and powerful individuals?

Rias, while young, was not to be underestimated in terms of intelligence. She had prepared several deterrents before the shopping trip to maximize the safety of Akeno, taking even more measures after Ritsuka announced her desire to go with them.

However, Rias was not prepared for sheer, utter stupidity. The actions of Himejima Kaioh were idiotic, to say the least, treacherous if one wanted to be harsh about it. What he did had the potential to bring the entire Himejima clan crashing down in flames.

Rias had not asked Akeno where the old man and his surviving comrades had been kept, as there was no time.

Right now, all that mattered was that Ritsuka's wellbeing, nothing else. Certainly not the insignificant thoughts of the man who reduced her to her current state.

Akeno had not described Ritsuka's injuries, perhaps as a mercy to Rias' heart. However, the fact that her beloved younger sister had suffered fatal injuries was more than enough information to drive the older sister to extremly drastic actions.

Therefore…

"_Oh God! How bad is it?! Is Ritsuka-chan going to be ok?! Where is she hurt?! Does it hurt?! W-what do I do?!"_

Ignoring the headache that came with uttering God's name, Rias began to hyperventilate.

If Ritsuka was a regular human, someone could simply resurrect her as a devil, bringing the birl back to full health.

However, that was something Ritsuka's parents had already done at the start of her life, one of the first things they had tried to do, even before the passing of a day after her birth.

However, all of their efforts proved to be unsuccessful, the reincarnation magic failing as soon as it reached Ritsuka's soul.

It was almost as if the world itself rejected them, declaring that Ritsuka Gremory could be naught but a human.

More attempts were made, but eventually, the family gave up. There was just no succeeding with their power.

And now, it was still impossible to reincarnate the girl.

Still, Akeno had informed RIas that Ritsuka's injuries were not too severe, so there was indeed a silver lining in the situation.

"_Please! Please be ok! I don't know what I'll do without you!"_

Speeding into the door of her mother's office, Rias blew it apart with her power of destruction, entering the room with a massive pulse of overwhelming energy.

"Mother!"

Her eyes were crazed, her body flushed. Rias gave off the appearance of a wild animal, a beast who would tear apart all that stood before her if her demand was not met.

Her mother and brother were before her, the former shedding tears that flowed down her pale face in the likeness of twin rivers.

However, those were not tears of despair, but relief, as Rias recognized the triumphant smile on Venelana's face.

Sirzechs wobbled in place, a difficult grin on his face. He was glad, but shaken at the same time. After all, one of his most precious things was almost taken away from him.

Rias, as she began to catch her breath, saw the form of the small child cradled within Venelana's arms, similar to her state when she had been born.

Ritsuka Gremory's peaceful sleeping face faced towards her, body showing no signs of injury whatsoever.

She was now dressed in a new dress, different from the one she had worn on the shopping trip, as that one was far too damaged and stained to be kept on.

Seeing this, Rias's body finally relaxed, her legs losing all strength as the adrenaline flowing through them lost its effect.

Soon, the girl was overwhelmed with sobs and hiccups, crying out all of her relief and heartache.

"T-*hic Thank goodness!"

She was sobbing too much to say anything more than that.

Sirzechs smiled lightly at his sister's face, extremly glad that she had not seen the full extent of Ritsuka's injuries. Her heart may have not been able to handle it.

Rias had always loved Ritsuka to an extremly large degree, to a point where it was almost strange.

On top of never being able to resist the smaller girl's requests, Rias was obsessed with her younger sister. They had slept together for much of Ritsuka's younger years, and frequently took baths together. In fact, Rias spent virtually more time with her than anyone else.

When asked why she was like this, Rias would reply with something like "Her eyes were shining so brightly back then" or something similar.

Of course, Sirzechs was not displeased at this. On the contrary, he was glad that his sisters got along with each other so well.

However, that also meant that Rias absolutely could not take the sight of RItsuka getting hurt. She would fuss over her sister more than her mother, even when the girl had nothing more than mere papercuts.

Seeing Ritsuka with a pierced lung and a shattered arm… that might have traumatized Rias Gremory for the rest of her life.

Therefore, Sirzechs was extremly glad that his mother had healed Ritsuka just in time.

It was extremly tricky to reknit Ritsuka's flesh and bones without touching those circuit-like things in her spiritual body, but in the end, Venelana Gremory's thousands of years worth of experience won out.

She had compressed her power to such a small concentration that she was able to shift and skim around the circuits without disturbing them. Of course, it took much longer than they would have liked, but the result was optimal.

And now, as Ritsuka slept comfortably in his mother's still-trembling arms, Sirzechs could not help but reach out a hand to rub her head.

Rias wasn't the only one who loved her little sister, after all.

And then, a pair of eyes opened, revealing the awakened form of a little girl.

Sirzechs' hand stopped midair as he froze.

Ritsuka, as if unaware that she was still held within her mother's arms, leaped down to the rug, unimpeded by Venelana's still weak form, emotional fatigue taking its toll on her.

Rubbing her eye with a hand, the girl yawned, stretching her arms.

"Is it morning yet?"

It was as if she had completely forgotten during her battle, not even bothering to look upon her healed body for injuries, as if she knew that they were already healed.

This was natural.

Ritsuka had been wounded many times in her previous life, sustaining injuries much worse than the ones she gained in her last battle. They had all been healed by her servants before, not leaving a single scratch.

She had the same trust in her new family than those servants. Therefore, it would only be logical to assume that her reactions to previous wounds would also be the same.

And then, just as Ritsuka was about to begin walking, she was tackled to the ground by Rias, who was sobbing her eyes out, covering her entire body.

Ritsuka's movements were heavily restricted, her head unwillingly pushed into Rias's chest, restricting her breathing to a dangerous degree.

Sirzechs was appearing as if he wanted to join them, but he refrained from doing so with a large portion of his mental strength. Instead, he helped lift Rias off of Ritsuka, showcasing his demonically-enhanced strength.

"Come on now, Rias. Ritsuka-chan can't breathe."

Rias looked to him, eyes red and leaking.

"But- but Onii-sama!"

Sirzechs sighed.

"Yes, Rias, I understand. But you have to let your sister breathe, alright?"

Venelana seemed like she wanted to interject, but their entire conversation was stopped by its subject, Ritsuka.

The child looked at Sirzechs with a troubled face, as if pondering something.

"Nii-san… Say, what happened to the old guy who attacked me?"

The Lucifer scowled, not quite having good memories of his opponent, especially not after what the man did.

"I defeated him and threw him in the dungeons."

Ritsuka gasped childishly.

"We have dungeons?"

Sirzechs sighed again, too mentally exhausted to answer these questions.

"Yes, Ritsuka-chan. Now, why are you asking about him?"

Ritsuka grinned.

"Well, there's only one possibility, isn't there?"

Sirzechs felt as if he was about to get a headache. With how intelligent his sister seemed to be, he always forgot her age when they spoke. Therefore, when she finally acted like her age group, it was surprising.

"I want to have a little chat with him!"

**IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII**

The Gremory dungeon was a dark and dreary place, just as one would expect for something of its name.

Dark, unsanitized corners and chained cells were filled with cobwebs. Ancient, stony hallways were lined by nothing but the faintest of torches.

Ritsuka walked along with her brother along with one of the paths to Himejima Kaioh's cell, the one he shared with the surviving intruders.

The girl coughed thanks to the dust, eyeing the abnormally large spiders creeping across the darkest corners of the building.

"Is this place really a humane place to put them? These spiders look like they're carnivorous."

The girl said this as one of those same spiders dragged along the mutilated corpse of a squirrel, bringing it into its web for whatever nefarious purpose it may serve.

Sirzechs growled. Ritsuka was never one to be afraid of insects or arachnids, so he brought her here without much debate.

She should decide the fate of her killer, or so Sirzechs thought. Ritsuka was not the sort of person that would induce a punishment too harsh on anyone, but even if she did, in this case, Sirzechs would see the act as being just.

However, when she talked about seeing her attacker, there was no malice in Ritsuka's voice. It was casual, almost like the request to appear before a friend.

Sirzechs was no stranger to his sister's benevolence, but this was stretching it quite a bit.

However...

"I do not care if it is humane or not. What they have done to you is unforgivable. If anything, mere imprisonment is one of the lightest punishments."

Even if Ritsuka harbored few negative feelings, the same did not apply for Sirzechs. His sister had been horribly abused by the Himejima clan, and he was extremly close to calling a war on them already.

A one-man war, one that he would actually win.

Ritsuka sighed, appearing much older than her age, once again.

"Come on, Nii-san. Don't be like that. They're not too bad."

Sirzechs frowned.

His sister was being dar too unreasonable here.

He was about to say something, but stopped himself before his mouth opened. Ritsuka's kindness was one of the things he adored about her. Debating it was simply out of the question.

Instead, he declared:

"We're here."

Before the two siblings was a small iron cell, rusted and infested with decomposers and small flesh-eating insects.

Within that damp, unsanitary room, three individuals sat, locked in place by dark-iron chains wrapped around their wrists and ankles.

The sound of heated chatter could be heard from the outside, a discussion occurring between the leader and his subordinates.

"But Kaioh-sama! If we fight using the-"

The voice of an old man, calm and collected, filled the air.

"The devils would be upon us in an instant if we did so. That is enough, Saburo. Any further resistance will just bring upon more harm upon our clan."

He sighed, almost as if in regret.

"I honestly cannot see what spirit convinced me to execute such a foolish plan."

A surprised gasp was heard.

Ritsuka frowned.

Kaioh's voice was strong, but it was strained, almost as if he sported lung injuries or something of the sort.

"Umm… Nii-san…?"

Sirzechs smiled at Ritsuka, placing a protective hand over her shoulder as they approached the door to the onmyojis' cell. He thought that she had been traumatized by Kaioh, but was just hiding it well. After all, one could not just have a tendon severed and an arm crushed without building up resentment or fear, especially not at Ritsuka's age.

Therefore, Sirzechs' most likely hypothesis was that Ritsuka was trying to get some closure. He assumed that she would try to correct her former powerlessness by confronting the person who had made her see it.

After all, from what Akeno had tearfully described, Ritsuka, even with her magic (something that would be discussed at a later time) was not strong or fast enough to even scratch Kaioh.

Therefore, had she come here to make herself feel better about it all? Or was it something else?

Sirzechs leaned towards the second option as Ritsuka dashed into the prison cell, busting through the door with a reinforced arm. His eyebrow raised at the blue pattern that appeared on it, likening it to the circuits on her spiritual body.

Then, the devil's eyes widened at what was happening, rushing to his sister's side to ensure that she did not do anything rash. Hot-headedness was a trait that Ritsuka Gremory showed many times, unfortunately.

"Oi, old man! How many busted ribs do you have?!"

She had noticed that the man sustained multiple grave injuries from the tone of his voice and the smell of fresh blood in the air, not even five minutes old. Experience in the Lostbelts and Singularities taught the girl this much, at least.

Himejima Kaioh simply frowned, sitting as if in meditation. That was the only reaction towards Ritsuka. There was no answer to her questions, for the man's pride was far too great for that.

Cursing, Ritsuka glanced at the old man's bound limbs, covered in a shredded ritual garb devoid of equipment.

Making a swift decision, the girl activated the Tohsaka crest, putting her hands over Kaioh's chest.

As her hands glowed green, the old man's eyes narrowed, feeling his injured organs and fractured ribs heal, albeit not to full structural integrity.

At this point, Sirzechs had already appeared next to Ritsuka in a flash of red, practically ripping the girl away from Kaioh, a frantic glint in his eyes.

"What are you doing, Ritsuka-chan!"

Holding the body of the protesting girl with two hands, Sirzechs ignored his sister's indignant wriggling and struggling, turning a burning glare towards Kaioh.

"_You…_ did you hurt her again?!"

Sirzechs was almost trembling, the memories of Ritsuka's grievously wounded state entering his mind like a thunderstorm on a beach of tranquility.

"Did… did you do something again?!... You monster?!"

Truth be told, Sirzechs intentionally kept Kaioh somewhat unhealed, just from his personal spite alone. His mind just could not tolerate completely repairing the body of a man who had hurt his sister so much.

Kaioh's eyes narrowed again before the old man let out a humorless laugh. He had long accepted defeat, his words hollow with shame and self-hatred.

"What could I possibly do to hurt her in this state? You have taken my talismans, my katana, and my pride. The only reason you have not taken my life is that you will interrogate me for information. There is nothing left for me anymore."

He chuckled.

"In fact, your _human _sister, I won't ask more on that; was not even my intended target! How ironic that I inflicted more damage upon her than the fallen scum?!"

The old man descended into another burst of self-loathing laughter, coughing as the damage to his ribs took its toll.

Sirzechs grit his teeth, twin orbs of condensed oblivion appearing before him.

His voice was menacing. His eyes, obscured.

"I… would... suggest that you do not say such _horrible _things in my household. My patience is far from infinite."

Kaioh's two subordinates began to sweat in fear, their mouths clamped shut. They had planned a response when Sirzechs eventually came for them. The young onmyoji had steeled themselves for all sorts of threats, tortures, and more; ready to respond to all questions with scathing insults.

However, all of that preparation was destroyed in an instant by Sirzechs' sheer presence. There was no describing what they felt when he was in the room. Basic survival instincts took over, and the two men stayed perfectly still, as if they were twin herbivores hiding from a ferocious predator.

Kaioh gave a wry grin.

"Do it then. Kill me. But know that I will not give in to your demands. That is the last shred of pride I have, and I will not lose it."

Sirzechs sighed in exasperation, tired from the events of the day.

"Just… what compelled you to do this, Himejima Kaioh? What inspired you to such foolishness?"

The old man looked down at the ground, gritting his teeth in shame.

"Attacking a city controlled by devils with a mere ten men… assaulting the queen of one of the Underworld's most popular heiresses… Himejima Kaioh… are you trying to doom your own clan?"

Kaioh did not reply, but his subordinate did. The one called Saburo.

"Shut your mouth, devil! You cannot hope to fathom the ingenuity of Kaioh-sama's plans!"

Sirzechs frowned, disturbed.

"Are your subordinates really this idiotic, Kaioh?"

The old man refused to answer once more, causing Sirzechs to become angry once more, gritting his teeth.

"Very well. I will ignore your foolishness. However, you _will_ inform me of any of the Himejima's schemes that will act against devil kind. Especially for my family members!"

The only reply was further silence.

"Hmph. Very well then. If you will not tell me willingly, maybe it's time I move onto more… unsavory methods…"

Truth be told, the Lucifer would normally be adamant against any form of torture, his morals too rigid to allow such a thing. However, after what Kaioh did… he would be lying if he said he didn't want to tear the man apart himself.

Ritsuka chose that exact moment to bite down on his hand, causing Sirzechs to drop her to the ground in surprise.

She was never that violent, especially not with him or Rias.

"Ritsuka-chan, what are you doing?"

She ran towards Kaioh, standing before him with her hands placed protectively to her sides.

Kaioh's eyes widened as he realized that it was the same stance the girl took when he was attacking Akeno.

"No! No torture!"

Sirzechs froze before taking a deep breath. His sister would always be his sister, and the actions she had just taken was proof of that. Sometimes she didn't act her age, but when she did, it was always on heroic stunts like this.

Smiling, the devil patted his sister's head.

"Alright, alright. It was just a joke."

And then, Ritsuka became mature again, chuckling without humor.

"It wasn't a joke and you knew it, Nii-san."

Sirzechs froze again, but for a completely different reason.

Ritsuka's tone was cold, almost disappointed.

The Lucifer felt his blood chill as he drew back instantly.

If there was one thing he hated, then it was disappointing his sisters.

"No, no, no! It was definitely a joke! See, your big brother would never perform a deed as uncouth as torture! Where did you even hear of such things? Hahahaha..."

Ritsuka raised an eyebrow, almost as if she was exasperated.

"Sure…"

And then, the girl turned to face Kaioh without another word, a shortsword appearing in her hand in a flash of blue.

Sirzechs smiled.

"You're going to tell me about those powers later, right?"

Ritsuka half-lied.

"Maybe, but I don't know that much either."

And then, the sword slashed down on Kaioh.

The onmyoji simply stared Ritsuka in the eye, expecting his life to end. It would not be anywhere close to enough to repent for the damage he had inflicted to the Himejima, but it would appear that there was simply no other punishment he could be subjected to now.

"_I'm sorry, Ayaka. I could not keep our promise in the end."_

And then, he felt the chains wrapped around his limbs loosen and unravel, almost as if they had been cut.

Eyes widening, Kaioh stared into the smiling face of the girl who had just freed him from his restraints.

Her brother was flaring his power now, prepared for an attack towards her.

"What are you doing, Ritsuka-chan?!"

It was not as if Kaioh was completely depowered. He had a large amount of his maximum prana capacity thanks to the amount of time rested. Therefore, the man was extremly dangerous.

Ritsuka barely reacted as the old man immediately held out a stell-like hand around her throat, moving at supersonic speeds.

Eyes narrowing, Kaioh stated a simple demand, taking advantage of the situation immediately.

Abusing the naievity of a little girl was not something the man would do regularly, but the lives and wellbeing of his subordinates were at stake.

"Release my comrades."

Or so he said.

Sirzechs became furious once more, his rage destroying the materials in the room like a typhoon of oblivion, a swirl of unreality.

How dare this man take advantage of his sister's kindness like this? How could he do so after ruthlessly inflicting fatal injuries upon her when she was only four?

"_Unforgivable."_

Sirzechs Lucifer rarely hated anyone, but now, he could feel his heart stir, filling with dark emotions akin to a boiling cauldron, threatening to overflow.

"_**How dare you…"**_

Kaioh widened his eyes, assessing the situation once more.

Sirzechs was fast, blindingly fast. Therefore, would he be able to threaten Ritsuka's life properly? There was a possibility that the devil could simply grab his sister before Kaioh even knew what was happening.

No, there was no point thinking about that now. This was Kaioh's last chance, and if the circumstances invalidated his intended result, then so be it. There was nothing more he could do.

For a brief moment, Kaioh contemplated going back to the Himejima clan with his new prisoner in hand. It would certainly discourage the devils from waging war, as the clan now had a valuable prisoner that the enemy could not risk.

However, how would he get her back to the clan...?

And then, a blush appeared on the girl's face.

"I-is deviancy a Himejima thing, Kaioh-san…?"

He frowned.

What was she talking about?

Sirzechs' face darkened even further, the aura around him becoming even more horrifying than before.

"_**Himejima Kaioh… you…"**_

Struggling to breathe thanks to the hand gripping her throat, Ritsuka appeared to be flustered.

"I-I'm sorry… I don't have anything against BDSM play, but I'm too young right now… also, Kaioh-san, you're old enough to be my father, and we don't know each other well enough…"

A thousand orbs of condensed oblivion gathered around Sirzechs, spinning and spinning until their momentum had reached a critical point. He was now angry for a whole different reason.

The metal around them began to lost integrity and flake away into nothingness, and everyone could feel their molecules being slowly thrown into the abyss in the millions.

Ritsuka, if she realized this, did not mention anything. Instead…

"S-so… Even if I'm glad you feel this way, there's no way that I can accept your feelings. Even if I did, my parents wouldn't really let anything happen… s-so... I'm sorry, Kaioh-san…"

And then, Himejima Kaioh understood what she was saying, immediately purging all thoughts of dishonor from his head.

His eyes, no longer the ones of a threatened animal, centered on Sirzechs while being filled with nothing but revulsion, the type someone would show when looking at an extra nasty piece of trash.

"You scum. Revealing such matters to a young human child… it seems that I was right about you devils."

Yes, she had killed his men. However, what if she was indoctrinated to do so by the devils who had apparently raised her?

What if she was kidnapped, snatched from her parents to become the plaything of the devils? Perhaps they taught her all the degenerative and indecent information they had, educating her to be a cruel killing machine for nothing but their amusement?

Himejima Kaioh, while not perfect in morality, snarled at this possibility. He could not hate a victim that knew no better than to kill his comrades, and he was sure that they would not hate Ritsuka either… if they knew of the circumstances he had inferred.

He relaxed his grip on Ritsuka's throat immediately, not wishing to play along with perverted schemes of the devils.

And then, the girl sighed.

"That was a joke."

Kaioh narrowed his eyes.

Either Ritsuka was a very good lier, or her words were not completely false.

Still, it would appear that his inference was wrong.

Ritsuka spoke calmly, not attempting to dislodge herself from Kaioh's arm.

"You know, I severed your chains so we could talk on even ground. I would appreciate it if you could do the same."

Kaioh was wary now.

This was the girl that had killed his comrades, her true form. She was far more intelligent than she seemed, unafraid of death. Hers, or her opponent's.

"You expect me to trust that Sirzechs Lucifer will simply leave us unharmed after this?"

Ritsuka smiled.

"Of course. Isn't that right, Nii-san?"

Sirzechs winced as his sister practically glared at him, as if daring him to make a move against the man holding her hostage.

Ritsuka looked like she had the situation under control… but Sirzechs could not just ignore someone who was directly threatening his sister's life…

Seeing this, the girl sighed.

"Right. Well, that's fine. I'm still going to have to talk to you, and I really don't want to do it in a prison cell. So, keep your hand at my throat if you want, but let's go into the living room, ok?"

"You expect me to stride into a room full of devils, holding you by the throat, and have a 'talk' with you?"

Ritsuka cringed.

"Ok, not the living room then. What about my room? If you're worried about your safety, I'll make sure that noone is nearby. Besides, in such an isolated location, you can basically kill me anytime, so I don't think anyone will actually attack."

Ritsuka chuckled while saying this, as if leaving her life in Kaioh's hands was nothing more than common courtesy.

Sirzechs practically roared at her, showing his protective side.

"NO! I will not be lenient on this! You _will_ let my sister go, and you _will_ stand down!"

Ritsuka sighed.

Kaioh bristled, becoming warier.

"Come on, Nii-san. You know that's not the way to negotiate."

Sirzechs opened his mouth wordlessly, as if baffled.

"Negotiate?! Ritsuka-chan, they're our prisoners! Prisoners who attacked our territory and injured you grievously without any true provocation! I don't expect you to understand, but there is no negotiating to be done here!"

Ritsuka sighed, as if Sirzechs was the one being childish in this situation.

"Nii-san, I don't hate Kaioh-san for doing what he did, so could you let this go? If you won't let them be alone with me, then you can sit with us."

Sirzechs groaned.

Ritsuka had that look in her eyes. That same look the girl had when she did the most reckless of things. In all of those situations, any attempts at stopping her would be completely futile.

Therefore, Sirzechs gave up, having met his match.

"Alright, Ritsuka-chan. Bring them to the guest room. I'll have a fresh set of clothes prepared."

Looking towards Kaioh, Sirzechs' eye twitched with the utmost amount of irritation he had ever felt.

"There's tea if you want."

Ritsuka seemed insistent on treating her attackers as some variation of houseguests, and Sirzechs trusted his sister too much to debate with her on something like this. Besides, wasn't it the job of a big brother to support his cute little sister?

And then, negotiations began.

**IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII**

"_How did this happen?"_

Looking towards the old man who stood in front of him at the guestroom table, Sirzechs sighed in exasperation, seeing the man's two subordinates shamelessly indulging in the sweets and tea presented to them.

They did not seem to be true zealots, just extremly loyal to Kaioh… or it would seem…

Kaioh himself simply stood in a formal robe, staring directly into the eyes of Ritsuka Gremory, as if attempting to discern something.

Sirzechs had his eyes narrowed, his body tensed. If they made any move for his sister, then there would surely be hell to pay.

Ritsuka took a sip of tea, looking surprisingly aristocratical for someone so outgoing.

"Kaioh-san. Would you kindly tell me why you attacked Himejima Akeno?"

The old man raised an eyebrow.

"You are already informed. She is a blight on the Himejima name, and cannot be allowed to exist. If the fallen lives, she will conspire with devil kind and bring ruin to our noble clan."

Sirzechs grit his teeth, flaring his power.

"And I will _inform _you that this is-"

"Nii-san."

Ritsuka's tone suggested that he stay out, so Sirzechs closed his mouth, not before leaving another glare for Kaioh.

Ritsuka looked to Kaioh, a frown on her face. She seemed to be pondering something.

"Kaioh-san… I am having this conversation with you because I want to be civilized. in exchange, please answer my questions to the best of your ability, alright?"

The old man narrowed his eyes, steeling his voice.

"No matter what heinous actions you take towards me, I will not reveal any information that may prove detrimental towards the Himejima clan. Is that understood?"

His voice was authoritarian, allowing no compromise or doubt. It was almost as if he was in a position of command amongst them.

Ritsuka was surprised for a second before chuckling silently.

Sirzechs frowned.

To think that the old man could be so authoritarian even when captured by the enemy. Truly, Himejima Kaioh was an interesting specimen.

The girl, after a small moment of amusement, answered the old man's statement, suggesting a compromise.

"Very well. I won't ask you too many things about your clan, but you do know that your leader will have to eventually be informed of your actions, correct?"

The old man grit his teeth, a wave of shame hitting him like an avalanche. Seeing this, one of his followers extended an arm.

"Kaioh-sama…"

The old man waved him off, his gaze deepening with determination.

"Yes… for that is the result of my failure. I will not beg for mercy, nor will I persuade you to halt any potential plans of assault in your minds. You devils are too malignant to listen to such things."

He rose from the table, slamming down his hands on it.

"Instead! Know that if such a thing is to occur, I will fight out of my prison utilizing any means necessary, and fight against your forces to my last breath!"

The man's followers welled up with tears, overwhelmed by admiration of their master.

"Kaioh-sama! To think that you can say such a thing in front of Sirzechs Lucifer! We will follow you to the ends of the earth!"

The old man paid them no mind, but Ritsuka seemed to be amused at their words.

Sirzechs was grimacing. He found himself actually admiring Kaioh for a second, immediately chastising himself right after.

"_You idiot! This bastard did all of those things to your own sister!"_

Instead of expressing his emotions, Sirzechs covered them up by confronting Kaioh, beginning to radiate destruction once more.

"How many times do I have to tell you, you bastard? You're not in any position to be-"

And Ritsuka slammed a tiny fist on the table, screaming out.

"Nii-san!"

Sirzechs flinched. Ritsuka was not exactly angry at him. She was never angry at family members, not really. I fact, she was never truly angry towards anyone…

Stopping instantly, Sirzechs straightened his body in an instant, face freezing into a forced smile, twitching at the edges. He was somewhat desperate to placate his sister, who was now pouting at him with an adorable face.

"R-Ritsuka-chan! I-I was just telling this onmyoji that he shouldn't be this impertinent in _our_ house! He attacked us and hurt you, so he doesn't have the right to be so rude!"

Ritsuka sighed, anger dissipating in an instant.

"I know, Nii-san. I know, but I want to give Kaioh-san a chance to explain himself."

The old man snorted.

"What else is there to explain? I attacked you because I thought of the fallen girl to be a stain and a threat. There is nothing more to it. Kill me if you must, lest you wish to risk a deadly jailbreak."

"Kaioh-sama!"

"Silence, Saburou! There is nothing more we can do, so just be quiet!"

The young man lowered his head in shame, eyes dull.

Ritsuka raised an eyebrow, her tone unbelieving.

"Oh really now? I'm just supposed to believe that a man like you acted rashly on a personal vendetta, attacking a heavily guarded area for an order your lord did not even issue? You have years of experience, Kaioh-san. I'm sure you made many mistakes in your youth, but such acts of hot-headedness are not something you would attempt in your current age."

Sirzechs' eyes widened. He did not expect his little sister to peer into the psychology of her enemy with such ease, let alone understanding their emotions.

Kaioh snarled. It was not just the girl being extremly suspicious in her knowledge, but unsettling how she seemed to be able to read him like a book. Those yellow eyes seemed to shoot through him, like she could read his very thoughts.

Little did he know that Ritsuka became extremly good at reading people during her youth thanks to a great deal of experience.

After all, there was that one time she was fooled by the shady priest, kidnapped, and fatally injured...

Not to mention the time where Christopher Colombus betrayed her, or the time where the shady priest…

Overall, during her journey, Ritsuka became adept at reading the posture, attitude, and personalities of other individuals as one of the many necessities she required during the Grand Order.

It was not quite powerful enough to be called a true version of **Discernment of the Poor**, but it was adequate for a human being.

"What would _you _know of my attachments?!"

Ritsuka crossed her legs, body seeming to relax. However, her eyes told a different story.

"Simple, Kaioh-san. From what I have seen, you're quite a logical man. A man that puts duty over all emotional attachments… except one."

The old man's eyes widened as Ritsuka grasped the circumstance of his wife's death and the impact it had on him.

"_How could this brat know such things?"_

He became wary now, treating the girl across from him as a being as dangerous as any other devil.

"How do you-"

Ritsuka cut him off.

"How do I know the circumstance that would drive you to commit to such actions? I don't. As far as I know, one of your friends has died to a fallen angel, or maybe a lover?"

Kaioh was extremly careful to suppress the growl that threatened to escape his throat, so he was surprised when Ritsuka leaned closer, and spoke:

"A lover, huh?"

Kaioh flinched involuntarily.

"_It is as if she can read my mind."_

Sirzechs was shocked. Not even he could read the emotions of others too well. Even if he never put any real effort into it, he still had thousands of years of experience… so how did he lose to his four-year-old sister?

"_Yet another peculiarity of Ritsuka, so it would seem."_

There certainly seemed to be many of those. Too many, in fact.

Ritsuka seemed to soften, smiling in… understanding?

Sirzechs was seriously disturbed that his little sister seemed to know the feeling of losing a lover, but he knew that such a thing was not possible… right?

Then again, it was also impossible to be born a human in a family of devils. It was impossible to have circuits in the spiritual body. And it was even more impossible that the human child born in a society of devils would have a body rivaling that of Eve's.

Ritsuka Gremory seemed to be impossible _crystalized_.

"I see. Your eyes tell me everything I know, Kaioh-san. I'm sorry if I brought back up painful memories."

It was as if she was placating a young child who had just broken his ankle.

Kaioh, seeing this, became angered.

"Do not speak of things you have no knowledge of, _brat_."

Ritsuka sighed.

"Yeah, yeah. I won't ask more about that. I do respect privacy to a certain degree. However, Kaioh-san… there is something that seems very interesting to me."

The old man frowned at the pondering expression on the girl's face, somewhat unnerved at the mature expression on her face, still not deprived of baby fat.

"You see… if the death of your lover truly made you hate fallen angels to the point of stupidity, then this shouldn't be the first time you have done something like this."

She rose from the table, walking back and forth with a teacup in hand.

Ritsuka had spent too much time with Sherlock for her own good…

"If that experience truly made you hate fallen angels so much that you would discard all notions of duty and reason, then the Grigori would already be at war with you. Oh, and don't say that you attacked us because we're weaker than them. Based on my brother's very existence, you know that to be false."

Sirzechs widened his eyes, flinching in shock and surprise.

When had his sister been so interested in politics? He remembered that she would talk about the world in a naive way like a child, proclaiming that everyone should just get along. Had the fight with Kaioh really changed her so much?

Ritsuka took a sip of her tea.

"Therefore, I would like to ask why you would do something like this. It's just not adding up."

Kaioh's subordinates frowned, the one named Saburou frowning, almost in confusion.

"That's true… That cloaked guy was too suspicious… Even if he gave us those talismans…"

Ritsuka's eyes widened.

Kaioh barked,

"Do not reveal information to the enemy, Saburou!"

The subordinate whimpered, chastised.

"B-but Kaioh-sama! Don't you see that guy was extremly shady?! Sure, the cloaking talismans he gave us were good, but how did he manage to get them in the first place?!"

Kaioh's eyes widened as he finally began to think.

As he did so, the man's shadow seemed to shift slightly, as if in pain.

This was not missed by Ritsuka or Sirzechs, both of them beginning to form new suspicions in their heads.

Kaioh, thanks to the words of his subordinate, seemed to realize that his failure was more idiotic than he had assumed.

"_W-what was the purpose of attacking them… __she_ _wouldn't have wanted me to do it, so why did I…"_

And then, Kaioh remembered.

A cloaked figure had appeared before his men a few nights before the attack, promising the success of their operation as well as handing out several strange talismans… talismans that he should have never touched.

They were obviously developed in the same method as the Himejima ones. However, they seemed to have a new effect, the effect of hiding amongst the shadows. If one was attached to an onmyoji, they would become nearly invisible, unable to be sensed by any common devil.

However, the cloaked figure had not said where he acquired these talismans, or even which species he was. This lead to suspicion, but Kaioh had examined the talismans for himself to check their integrity… which seemed to do _something_.

All of a sudden, his hatred for the fallen were amplified, his reason, carefully hidden away.

Worst of all, the man's mind could not question the cloaked figure anymore, almost as if he was a trusted friend...

His followers, men and women who had been trained by him and were utterly loyal to the last, stopped questioning the enemy, taking some talismans for themselves.

Indeed, they seemed to change, becoming more zealous and hateful.

Worst of all, none of them ever stopped to question their new thoughts and emotions, accepting them as their own instead.

It was something akin to mental persuasion, strong enough to affect even someone as magically potent as Kaioh.

Taking advantage of the already bitter memories within the man's mind, the persuasion spell/parasite had amplified his emotions for those circumstances a hundred-fold, resulting in the current situation.

As Kaioh finally realized this, his shadow seemed to come alive, leaving his body and bolting for the door in a frenzied rush.

His subordinates did not suffer this. The control the cloaked figure had imposed on them were gone now, possibly purged within the prison, as they truly began to doubt the wisdom of their mission.

As Kaioh's former shadow was about to reach the door, Sirzechs calmly lifted a hand, conjuring a magic circle over the exit, essentially projecting an unbreakable wall over it.

He turned to Kaioh, a small amount of animosity leaving his eyes and tone.

"I see. So you were convinced to do this by a third party…"

Then, the shadow creature, whatever it may be, seemed to bubble in aggression, acting immediately after its escape route was cut off.

A tendril of pure shadow, honed to a wickedly sharp edge, darted towards Ritsuka from across the room, surpassing the speed of sound instantaneously.

She seemed to be something akin to a priority target for the shadow, something it would not allow to let live.

However, the shadow had forgotten one detail. One momentous detail.

_Sirzechs Lucifer_ was in the room, and it had just attempted to end the life of his youngest sister.

Faster than the summer wind, the devil positioned himself between the tendril of shadow and his sister, catching its head with his right hand.

The gust of air generated from this action completely blew away the table at the center of the room, causing it to crash against the wall, destroying all of its contents.

At that moment, Sirzechs' grip on the tentacle was enough to crush diamond as he addressed the seemingly non-sentient shadow with a deceptively calm voice.

His eyes were mostly obscured by his crimson hair. However, one of them seemed to glow even under the cover, blazing a deep red akin to the essence of a ravenous flame.

This had already been a bad day for the devil. His mood was something worse than ruined even before this.

After all, Ritsuka, the little sister he treasured more than the world, had been fatally injured. Her body had been subjected to treatment that he would personally categorize as torture by a foreign assault that had targeted a close friend of his other sibling. Moreover, she was only four years of age. _Four_.

_Four_ fucking years old and she had already had been stabbed through the lung by an old man who was in way over his head.

And now, on top of all of that, this disgusting _creature_ had targeted his sister's life _yet again_! How many times did the unseen enemy have to assault Ritsuka before they finally relented?! What did she ever do to them?!

Ritsuka, while being human, had always been kind to everyone she had met, even the ones who had been antagonistic at first.

In fact, Sirzechs literatly could not name a single individual who hated her anymore. At least, not the ones who had officially met her.

There were always _those_ people, the ones why hated humans without knowing anything about them, even if said human was a prized member of their leader's family. They had never tried to actively harm Ritsuka, so Sirzechs left them alone. He would see how long that lasted.

Reality seemed to shift as Sirzechs glared at the mass of shadows with a single blood-red eye, a hundred bullets forming behind him, each a mass of condensed destruction.

The shadow, though not sentient, seemed to shiver in fear, unable to do anything.

Ritsuka's eyes glimmered with gratitude for a second before contorting in panic.

"Ah! Nii-san! You can't kill it just yet! We need to know where this thing came from!"

Sirzechs, knowing his sister to be right, clenched his fists, grinding his teeth in a volume audible to everyone in the room.

The bullets behind him seemed to condense even further, increasing in destructive potency as they did so. Sirzechs wanted to disperse them instead, but his reason did not affect his abilities more than his emotions.

"_Calm down, Sirzechs. You know that you have to capture this thing."_

A less reasonable side of his mind replied,

"_Capture__?! This thing just tried to kill your sister, and you want to __capture_ _it?!"_

The reasonable side sighed.

"_We spared Kaioh. We have to spare this thing too."_

The emotional side snarled.

"_Yes, we captured Kaioh, something we both know to be more trouble than its worth! We should have just killed the bastard where he stood! Besides, we've spared enough of these basterds already! They attacked __Ritsuka__! __RITSUKA!_ _She isn't even five yet and they tried to end her life without any hesitation!"_

The reasonable side growled.

"_Yes, they did. I agree that this is absolutely unforgivable. However, stop to think for a second! Judging by what we have learned, there's possibly a third party that influenced Kaioh to attack us. Capturing this shadow thing will be the first step to uncovering that entity's identity."_

"_But-"_

"_Would you prefer to have an unknown variable out there, free to attack Rias' peerage members and Ritsuka? Because from what we've seen of the shadow's behavior, Ritsuka is a primary target."_

"_But…"_

A careful moment of thought… and then an answer was formed.

"_Tch. You're right. But whoever this guy is, we're going to erase his ass from all existance."_

Sirzechs' entire mind agreed at this statement, coming to a conclusion.

With a dramatic swing of his arm, a dozen spells of captivity were cast upon the shadow in an instant. Spells that prevented it from teleporting, shifting to another dimension, and from physically escaping all came together in a plethora of wards, utterly trapping the shadow within without a chance of escape.

Ritsuka seemed to gasp in sheer wonder at this, making Sirzechs grin in satisfaction.

"_Yes, Ritsuka-chan! Gaze upon your brother's brilliant form!"_

He really wanted to act cool for his little sister.

And then, as if realizing that it was not going to escape, Kaioh's former shadow convulsed and contorted, a pained bubbling noise erupting from its twisted form.

Sirzechs' eyes narrowed as his right hand glowed with a yellow light.

"_Self-destruction. I see."_

And then, a new ward was placed upon the shadow, a magic circle showing an extremly complex pattern.

Sirzechs' face scrunched up in concentration for a split second before he relaxed, running a hand through his long red hair.

The shadow had been frozen, covered by a yellow magic circle that made it comp0letely motionless.

There was no movement, not even on the molecular level. The shadow had completely been trapped in a single second of time, a state of perfect chronostasis.

Ritsuka choked on her tea, struggling against the implications of such a spell. Sirzechs was quick to move behind her, worriedly patting her back as she expelled liquid from her airway.

Sirzechs had made the spell look easy, but it was quite complex in nature, requiring a rigid focus and a magnanimous understanding of the ever-complex timestream.

While the Lucifer was not a prodigy at magic, he was still a good learner. Even so, it had taken him the better half of a millennia to learn the spell, and even now, he was unable to use it to its maximum potential.

However, in this situation, the spell worked its charm, trapping the suspicious shadow in time just as needed.

Ritsuka, perfectly fine now, addressed Kaioh, ignoring the ruined table.

"Kaioh-san. It would appear that my initial hypothesis was correct. There has been someone influencing your actions from the shadows. In that case, I believe that we will be busy taking care of the newly revealed enemy."

The man was not so foolish that he would ignore the hidden meaning in that sentence.

"What will become of us then?"

Ritsuka smiled.

"Nothing much. Hopefully, we can release you back to your clan in a few days."

Kaioh's eyes widened for a second before narrowing. That had to be a lie.

"Do you honestly think I would believe that?"

Sirzechs coughed.

"Yes, Ritsuka. After what they have done, I am not sure that I'm willing to let them get off scot-free."

The girl pouted, as if she thought her statement was perfectly reasonable.

Then, she sighed, face becoming woeful.

"No, Nii-san. You need to look at the casualty count. They lost almost all of their men while we were only slightly injured. The least we can do is send them back."

Sirzechs' eye twitched.

"_Slightly injured_?! Ritsuka! You were stabbed in the lung and had your arm shattered! Those are by no means _slight injuries!"_

Then, Sirzechs, realizing that his heated words could bring forth harmful memories of trauma from Ritsuka's mind, quickly embraced her from behind, attempting to apologize while comforting the girl.

For this, he received a flat response.

"Eh, it wasn't that bad."

Sirzechs' eye twitched again.

"_It wasn't that bad she says."_

He stared at Kaioh inquisitively.

"_Did this bastard brainwash my adorable little sister? Pain endurance only goes so far."_

Sirzechs did not forgive Kaioh for what he did. After all, he may have been under the influence of the hidden third party, but his mind was mostly his, and he had made the conscious choice to stab a four-year-old girl through the lungs with a katana, crushing her arm mere seconds later. He could not forgive a bastard like that.

In fact, he thought Ritsuka was amazing to seemingly forgive Kaioh for his actions so easily. After all, not even some of the devil's war comrades would be so forgiving if someone beat down on them like Kaioh did.

The sheer amount of forgiveness Ritsuka was willing to give out warmed Sirzechs' heart, reminding the devil once again why he was so proud of his sister. However, this also brought the big brother much concern, as being too forgiving was not exactly the best trait to have, not when there were so many adversaries ready to take advantage of it.

Ritsuka looked down, almost in guilt.

"Kaioh-san… I'm sorry."

Sirzechs raised an eyebrow.

"_What for? Protecting yourself? Protecting your sister's peerage member? You're not at fault here!"_

"In that situation, there was no way I could have protected Akeno-san without killing your comrades, and if the same thing happened again, I would do the same."

Kaioh bristled, flaring in anger for a split second before he frowned.

Then, his anger disappeared.

After all, he was the one who was carelessly brainwashed. He was the one who lead his soldiers into something that basically amounted to a suicide mission.

Ritsuka was just trying to defend her friend, even if that meant killing. She was not strong enough to afford to spare his men, and attempting to do so would have just resulted in her own death.

Kaioh knew this, and it made his anger towards the girl lessen, while the anger towards himself worsened.

For once, the old man allowed himself to wonder if he had more to do with his men's deaths than the girl in front of him.

The very thought of it consumed the man with guilt, making him unable to respond to Ritsuka's words.

"Still… I won't blame you if you hate me for it, but know that if there was anything else I could have done, I would have done it. So… I guess what I'm trying to say is…"

Ritsuka got out of her seat and bowed before the onmyoji, almost in a seiza position.

"I'm sorry I had to kill your comrades!"

And, as Sirzechs began readying himself to destroy Kaioh and his subordinates for what they made his sister just do, the receivers of the apology were not sure what to say.

The subordinates frowned in contemplation.

On one hand, their comrades were killed, and nothing would bring them back. Even so, they knew what they got themselves into the second they joined the mission. It was quite obvious that there was a high chance most of them would die after invading a devil-controlled city with eleven members.

Besides, if they were in Ritsuka's situation, the would do the same as she had done. In fact, the two onmyoji knew on an instinctual level that she had fought to protect her own friend, something they would both do readily.

Therefore, most of their hatred towards Ritsuka dispersed, turning into melancholy. They weren't sure what to think about the girl at all, especially not when she bowed before them, apologizing for defending herself.

The two men would never admit it, but _they _were beginning to feel guilty now.

Kaioh, on the other hand, was far less contemplative about it. The man had always blamed himself more than the enemies he fought when it came to the loss of his comrades. This was a wonderful showing of his character.

Growling without malice, the old man gestured for Ritsuka to rise.

"Tch. That's enough, brat. I will never be able to face my men in the afterlife if they find out I'm holding a grudge against a four-year-old girl."

Ritsuka got up, smiling.

"_*gasp! He's a tsundere character!"_

"Thank you, Kaioh-san. I'll convince my brother to let you back to your land. In the meantime, we will strive to uncover the identity of the shadow thing's owner. Don't worry about this anymore. We'll take of it."

Nodding, the onmyoji sat back in his surprisingly undamaged chair, awaiting what would come next.

The devils had been understanding, and he had gotten out of this mess surprisingly intact. Although Suoh would definitely punish him, Kaioh praised his good luck.

Ritsuka, glancing over to her brother, asked for him to transfer the prisoners back to the Himejima land.

"Nii-san, can you teleport them back to the Himejima lands? Oh, and don't declare war, alright?"

Sirzechs sighed. It had been a long day, and he just wanted this over with.

"Alright, Ritsuka-chan."

Gesturing for the three onmyoji to follow him, Sirzechs began to walk out of the room.

When he reached the door, Sirzechs turned to Ritsuka.

"Oh, and go to your sister, alright? She was worried sick after I told her about this meeting."

Ritsuka smiled brightly. She was looking forward to seeing Rias again.

"Ok!"

Sirzechs was not the only one who had a long day.

Controversial to popular belief, Ritsuka did not like being attacked, having her bones broken, and being stabbed in the lung.

Rias, who she was extremly intimate with, acted as a relaxing source of distraction from it all.

The pain.

The hardship.

The _memories_.

It was safe to say that Rias was possibly the most important person in Ritsuka's life.

Therefore, as Ritsuka sprinted out of the room, a brilliant smile on her face, she immediately reinforced her legs to sprint towards the location she knew her sister to be in, abruptly entering the room by kicking the door open.

She needed her fix, and she needed it now.

Seeing the startled form of her red-haired sister, all the tension left Ritsuka's body as she dived headfirst into the redhead's bosom, knocking her to the ground.

And then, everything was right once more.

Far away from the complicated politics of the new world, removed from the terrors and hardships of memories and combat, two sisters embraced each other lovingly, filled with nothing but love and joy.


	6. The Second Attack

**Hello there readers.**

**Before anything else, I would like to say that I'm deeply sorry for my lack of updates for the past few months.**

**School became extremly difficult for a while, and I did not have too much time to write.**

**However, that was not all.**

**I have recently entered something of a tournament for creative writing… and somehow, it was on some sort of national level and I got silver.**

**So, seeing this, I have decided to slightly increase my own standards of writing and also work on an original novel.**

**So, I will definitely fix up some previous chapters in this story and change some things to make more sense or to fit the universe.**

**I'll try to say everything I changed/added at the start of the next chapter. **

**This same message will also be displayed in the other story I am currently working on.**

Ritsuka woke up in the arms of a sleeping Rias, hidden behind the covers of a bed.

"_Warm."_

That was the first thing that came to mind when the girl regained her cognitive capabilities, her sister's warmth subtly influencing her psyche.

Ritsuka did not know why she woke up earlier than her elder sister.

Perhaps it was an accidental motion that connected with a vulnerable spot during slumber. Maybe she was just not as tired as she thought she was. It wouldn't be the first time.

Either way, Ritsuka was awake earlier than Rias, and it did not feel like she could return to her slumber.

Therefore, the girl had to get off the bed and begin her day.

Smiling compassionately to her sister, Ritsuka gently removed herself from the girl's bosom, prying away Rias's arms with the utmost amounts of gentleness.

Then, after the arms were completely out of the way, Ritsuka slowly inched away from Rias, determined not to make a sound.

After the arduous task of hopping off the bed, the girl inwardly sighed to herself, her worries relieved.

"_Phew. Onee-chan's sleeping face if just too peaceful right now. I'll feel bad for days if I wake her up."_

Seeing that she had succeeded, Ritsuka quickly stepped outside the room, careful not to make a single sound.

She had slept in the clothes she had worn yesterday, and they were relatively clean, different from the ones that were torn and bloodied from her battle with Kaioh.

The cred dress was quite comfortable, allowing for surprisingly good movement for something of its nature.

Ritsuka wondered what the fabric was made of. Perhaps it was some sort of cotton exclusive to the underworld? Either way, it was even more comfortable than silk.

The girl looked to the clock beside her, realizing that it was already seven a.m., meaning that her brother would already be awake, beginning his workday.

"_Hmm… Nii-san… After what happened yesterday, I should say hello. Maybe apologize?"_

And so, Ritsuka walked to her brother's office, wanting to apologize for what happened yesterday.

There was nothing else she could have done in the heat of the moment, but Sirzechs was forced to see the injured form of his little sister, the little sister he loved with all of his heart.

Ritsuka, not a stranger to seeing her family get hurt, felt her brother's pain.

Therefore, she would go to comfort him. It was the only thing she could actually do to elevate his emotional turmoil.

Therefore, Sirzechs, hurriedly looking over the reports of his spies from his office, received a surprise gift.

Grinding his teeth in aggression, the devil remembered the orders he had given to his underlings.

They were to utilize every resource under their disposal to find and eliminate the threat that had targeted Ritsuka. To do this, Sirzechs encouraged the devil spies from all over the world to find information from all ends, hopefully finding the identity and location of the party that had controlled Kaioh.

The devils were in touch with many spies, spread across many different parts of the world.

This was not surprising, as any non-idiotic independent faction would do the same.

The angels had them, and the fallen angels certainly had them. Probably too many for their own good…

All the devils had to do was to bribe some certain humans with the privilege of being reincarnated, and they suddenly found themselves controlling many usual men and women, capable of infiltrating many cities and countries.

They were not bound by actual demonic spells, so even if someone was suspicious, they would not be able to find anything abnormal on the bribed humans.

Perhaps some magicians would be disillusioned at promises of power with no contracts to ensure the cooperation of their payer, but there were plenty of desperate people out there who could be easily persuaded.

Even so, this convenient strategy could not be utilized on the Gods or species with intent-reading powers. Therefore, devil kind had no spies in nearly ninety-percent of divine pantheons, and attacks from certain organizations were extremly hard to predict beforehand.

Fortunately, many of the other factions faced the same problems, essentially evening the odds. Thanks to this lack of information, many factions refrained from attacking each other, overestimating the abilities and forces of the opposition. Still, it was better than underestimating them.

Now, Sirzechs realized the worthlessness of his efforts.

His spies reported nothing. Absolutely nothing of intrest.

And considering the wide scope of space he had no information on, the information was not reassuring at all.

It would appear that Kaioh and his men had been controlled by some shadow-like entity. Still, that only narrowed down the list of possible aggressors to _almost all _of the Divine Pantheons and several other factions.

Almost every religion had some sort of darkness god, and Sirzechs was not even familiar of them.

Even Serafall, part of the foreign department, did not meet with all of them. Gods of darkness tended to avoid being thrust into the spotlight, after all.

Still, it would be nice if Sirzechs could get some sort of information on the current threat. His sister's life was in danger, after all. Despite the abilities Ritsuka had shown so far, she was not anywhere near ready to face some of the greater threats of this world. Rias wasn't ready either, but she wasn't the one being targeted.

Grayfia, who Sirechs had almost forgotten was in the room due to his anxiety, quickly moved to pat her husband on the back.

"It will be alright. They will not dare to attack Ritsuka directly. Not when she is surrounded by so many powerful individuals. We will have to certainly minimalize her movements, but that is all."

Sirzechs smiled, slightly more relaxed. His wife always knew just what to say.

"Yes, you're right. Worrying about it will only make things worse."

Grayfia nodded in agreement. However, Sirzechs noted the frown on his wife's face.

It was only natural. Ritsuka had grown on the head maid, becoming something akin to a surrogate daughter to her. Of course she would also be worried.

And, at that exact moment, the door to Sirzechs' office opened, revealing the sprinting body of a cheerful Ritsuka.

Sirzechs smiled, his mood greatly heightened. It was not every day his sister wore a pleasant expression like that.

"_Speak of the devil."_

However, before Sirzechs could call out, Grayfia reprimanded the girl, using a very chiding tone.

"Ritsuka! It is still too early for you to be up! You were badly injured just yesterday! Go back to bed!"

To this scolding, the girl just grinned cheekily.

"Sorry, Grayfia-san. Can't sleep anymore."

Before the older woman could respond, Ritsuka threw herself towards Sirzechs, comfortably snuggling in his formal clothing, as if it was made of fleece instead of synthetic fiber.

"Mmm~"

Sirzechs wrapped his arms around his little sister, chuckling at her childish behavior. She had always been close with him, but it had been a while since she did something this adorable.

They stayed like this for a while, Grayfia shaking her head.

She could not interrupt this. It wouldn't sit right with her.

When enough time had passed, Sirzechs lifted Ritsuka into the air, setting her down on the ground.

"Ritsuka, is there something you wanted?"

He was correct to assume this, especially after what had happened the day before.

Sirzechs had always known that Ritsuka was strange. However, he never knew that she was _this _strange.

Strange magic that was different from anything he had ever seen. Combat experience unbefitting of any child. And worst of all, the ability to shrug off pain as if it were nothing.

Sirzechs had witnessed as Kaioh crushed his sister's arm. He knew how painful it was. After all, the devil had given out such pain, and received it in turn.

Even if he, a grizzled war veteran of more than a thousand years of age, was able to shrug off the pain, that did not mean that his four-year-old sister should be able to do the same.

A chill ran down Sirzechs' spine.

Perhaps Ritsuka's sense of danger was unusually warped due to her high pain-resistance. If that was the case, then he would personally have to intervene...

Still, now wasn't the time to talk about that. Now, it was time to act as a big brother.

Perhaps Ritsuka didn't need comforting from yesterday's events. However, Sirzechs would be damned if he would miss out on this.

Ritsuka smiled at Sirzechs' question.

"Nii-san! Can I see Millicas?"

The devil smiled warmly. It was nice to see Ritsuka get along with his nephew.

However.

"Millicas will only wake up after three hours. Maybe you should do something else?"

Ritsuka pouted.

"No. I'll just wait for him in his room."

Greyfia intervened, becoming more parently than before.

"Ritsuka, you will wake him up if you are not careful."

Ritsuka shrugged.

"I'll be careful then."

The head maid groaned.

"For three hours?"

Ritsuka looked her right in the eyes, bronze orbs glimmering with honesty.

"Yes."

And she intended to keep that promise. Waiting a mere three hours was probably the least challenging of all of the obstacles Ritsuka had encountered in this world.

Grayfia sighed.

"Alright. Just don't overexert yourself."

Ritsuka smiled brightly.

"Thanks, aunt Greyfia. I'll bring him down for breakfast."

Then, after hugging the head maid with her stubby arms, Ritsuka dashed off into the hallway, intent on finding Millicas's room.

When she reached it, the girl pulled open the door, rushing to the crib that held her small friend.

"There you are."

Ritsuka whispered this silently, not wanting to wake up the child.

"Well, I suppose I'll wait a while."

Ritsuka smiled gently. She had not spent time with Milicas in a while. It would be good if she could spoil him a bit.

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Ritsuka woke up to the sensation of slapping on her face. Opening her eyes, she saw the small form of Millicas cheerfully hitting her head with his small fists.

They did not do any damage. In fact, even their impact was minimal, striking with the strength of raindrops.

"Nee... Nee."

Apparently, devil children matured faster than humans. However, Millicas was one year older than Ritsuka, meaning that he was only four.

As he was not reincarnated into this life, the young devil faced the natural challenge of learning his first language.

Ritsuka, who had woken now, realized that she had fallen asleep on top of Millicas's crib-bed. She immediately rose and apologized.

"Oh, sorry Mil! I didn't think I would fall asleep!'

Calling the boy by his nickname, the former master finally greeted her young nephew.

The boy seemed to hear her apology, but gave it no mind. Crimson eyes glowing with childish warmth, he latched onto Ritsuka's face with his chubby arms, capturing her in an impromptu hug.

"Hey! Don't just jump on me like that!"

Ritsuka almost lost her balance as her head had suddenly gained more than a few pounds of extra weight.

Gently removing Millicas, who was almost her own height from her face, Ritsuka sighed.

"Mil… that's dangerous…"

However, whatever chastisement she would have uttered was completely obliviated by Millicas's current expression.

"_What did Kuro call it again? Oh, that's right. The puppy eyes."_

Ritsuka felt a tug at her heartstrings as she gave a mental sigh.

"Right… nevermind then."

Patting Millicas's head a few times, Ritsuka took his hand in hers, walking towards the door.

"We have to eat breakfast now. Let's go."

Hearing the adorable "yay" that came from behind her, Ritsuka's face adopted a bright smile.

She was constantly reminded of the loss of Mash and her friends, the guilt from the Lostbelts, and the tragedy of her situation.

However, with a family like this…

Maybe things won't be too bad?

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At breakfast, Ritsuka sat by Millicas by the dining table, occasionally helping him with his food, wiping his mouth whenever there was a mess.

Rias watched them with trepidation. She wanted to talk to her sister about what happened yesterday, but the young devil could read the mood. Judging by how silent everyone was, this topic was not something she should blurt out. If anything…

"Ritsuka, we need to talk."

Ah, her brother would begin the conversation instead. As expected of someone like him.

Ritsuka seemed unperturbed by Sirzechs' words, spooning another bite of steak into Millicas' happily awaiting mouth.

She knew that everyone's eyes were on her. Her parents, the maids, her own siblings. There was not a single member of the Gremory household that was left unshocked at what happened yesterday.

Ritsuka had built up quite a good reputation for herself. A cute and adorable girl who never truly antagonized anyone who did not deserve it, a little hero who would come to the aid of anyone who needed it.

All of these descriptions Ritsuka had inadvertently built around herself. In fact, there was not a single devil in the Gremory estate who minded that she was a human anymore. It was strange at first, but they adjusted quickly. Actions speak louder than appearances, and Ritsuka had managed to practically remove any racial bias against her, at least in her familial group.

Needless to say, Ritsuka Gremory was a much-loved member of her family.

However, with love often comes worry, and rightly so.

The injuries Ritsuka sustained with the conflict of the onmyoji group was devastating for a human. Even if she was healed physically, it was a wonder that her mind was not scarred by such an event.

However, subverting all expectations, Ritsuka had apparently shrugged off the pain she had endured at the hands of her aggressors, unusual even for a four-year-old devil, let alone a human.

Was she simply hiding the pain, or was her mind simply that sturdy?

Noone knew, and that was exactly why they were so worried.

Was Ritsuka bottling up the pain and resentment inside her mind with sheer willpower, or was she just so unusual that a catastrophic arm injury and stab to the chest were nothing to her? With what they had already seen from her unusual origin and mature personality, it was not something difficult to believe.

However, if it was the former, then the members of house Gremory wanted to alleviate their second-youngest-member of the bottled-up negativity. Sirzechs and Greyfia had experienced it many times in the last war, and they knew from experience that it was not pleasant in the least.

However, even with their worries, noone wanted to bring up the possibly-traumatic matter, not wanting Ritsuka to remember the pain inflicted upon her from just a day ago.

Therefore, Sirzechs began the dialogue gingerly, every word strained with a calm but supportive tone. He was ready to rush to Ritsuka's side and comfort her if there was indeed any chance of a breakdown.

Dispelling the Lucifer's worries, Ritsuka casually responded with cheer in her voice and a childish smile on her face.

"What do you want to talk about, Nii-san?"

Not expecting the casual response, Sirzechs slightly stuttered, awkwardly asking Ritsuka,

"Can we talk about what happened yesterday?"

As he said this, Ritsuka's body reacted as if struck. The girl gingerly set down the tableware in her hands onto her dish as she recovered. She slightly shivered before readjusting her posture.

"Umm… what about yesterday?"

Sirzechs cringed at his own insensitivity. Of course the brave front his sister put on yesterday was nothing but a mask to hide her mental pain. In the first place, how could a child be fine after such an ordeal? Even the negotiation with Kaioh must have been forced and uncomfortable for her.

Everyone in the room instantly understood that the topic was not one Ritsuka wanted to touch on.

The topic somehow became more awkward.

"Nothing... Forget I said anything..."

He attempted to repair the situation by changing the subject.

Ritsuka simply twiddled her fingers together, quickly readjusting her posture.

Her mother spoke from across the table, eyes twitching at Sirzechs' cowardness. She knew that his attachment towards her daughter kept him from asking her indelicate questions, but those same questions would help Ritsuka in the long run… probably.

"Ritsuka, I know that what happened yesterday was painful for you…"

She stopped for a second, a look of pain crossing her features. Venelana had not gotten over what happened to her daughter yesterday. Ritsuka's injuries would haunt her dreams for quite a while.

Seeing her young child injured to such a degree… with shattered bones and a lung puncture... it would be traumatizing for anyone.

However, even if that was the case, she wanted to do what was best for Ritsuka.

"But please, talk to us about it. Bottling up your feelings won't do any good."

Ritsuka seemed to understand, becoming a bit less uncomfortable. Her gaze rested on her plate, eyes staring at something far away.

Sirzechs' mind likened it to the look in his former comrades' eyes in the last war. They were consumed by guilt over killing their own kin, over killing countless innocent devils, that their eyes became almost glassy, as if they were reliving the days of the war. It was not quite PTSD, but it was both a cause and result of it.

His heart began to ache heavily. Of course. Ritsuka had been exposed to extremly traumatic events yesterday. The life of her friend and her own wellbeing was put under great threat. It would be a wonder if she did not develop PTSD for something like this. He seemed to ignore the fact that the pain in her eyes was mostly born from guilt, as he couldn't comprehend what the guilt would be about in the first place.

He thought that he hated Kaioh before, but that hate was so incredible heightened at this moment that the Lucifer thought he would destroy the room he was in with his sheer bloodthirst.

Even Sirzechs, a veteran of a great war, was not subject to such traumatic events at a very young age. He was a devil, one of the strongest at that. His own innate biology and age gave him a better grasp of his demons, allowing him to control his own emotions and subdue fear.

However, Ritsuka was just a human girl under the age of five. She was not the inheritor of a great power like Sirzechs and Rias, nor did she have the training to deal with this sort of psychological terror.

Sirzechs bit on his tongue to keep himself restrained.

The burning fire of his anger was joined by the cold flame of his self-loathing.

How did he allow this to happen? He was possibly the strongest Devil of his generation, hailed as one of the most influential and powerful figures in the whole underworld.

Yet, with all his power and influence, he could not even stop the assault of a weakling human onmyoji from gravely injuring his own family member…

Needless to say, Zeoticus was feeling the same way, sitting rigidly in his seat. The ornate silverware in his hands had been crumbled like sheets of paper, and the chair under him began to creak ominously, almost as if it would break any second.

However, even his wrath could not be compared to Sirzechs', which caused the entire room to shake as if it was in the path of an earthquake.

Greyfia quickly put her hand on his shoulder, flashing him an understanding look.

This calmed the Lucifer down in an instant, causing the room to stop quaking instantly.

Rias was frozen in place. She had no idea how to even react.

Ritsuka was a child that could never be truly mentally hurt no matter what happened, was what she was led to believe. She was always optimistic, never sad.

Therefore, seeing her little sister like this made Rias more than worried. Besides, with what happened yesterday… it would be a lie to say that she had gotten any sleep, a bigger lie to say that she was feeling anything resembling hunger at the moment. In fact, she had wanted to vomit the second her breakfast touched her mouth.

Rias wanted nothing more than to scold her entire family for their harsh interrogation of her sister and to keep her close so nothing like this could happen again.

However, there was nothing the crimson devil could do in this situation, and she instantly missed her opportunity after Ritsuka began to act.

Ignoring her brother's burst of power, Ritsuka spoke sadly.

"I killed them…"

Rias was befuddled.

"Wha-"

However, Zeoticus responded with a frown on his face, his tone fatherly. He understood her pain, as he had friends who felt the same after their first kill.

Kindness, morality, mercy. All were present within his young daughter, and he could not be more proud of that.

Such things were what separated the new devils from the traditionalist ones. Striving to improve themselves, to be kinder, more gentle, if not for themselves, then for the reputation of all devilkind. As a father, Zeoticus felt nothing but pride.

However, in this situation, he had to tell her that she was in the right for killing her aggressors. After all, no sane person could fault her for defending her friend and herself by any means necessary.

"Yes, and you did the right thing, Ritsuka. They had the intention to kill you, manipulation or not. You could not have saved Akeno and yourself without killing them in return."

Ritsuka still looked downcast, unable to meet anyone's eyes.

"I know that. But…"

She seemed to be unable to continue, as if the topic she was describing was not something that could be put into words.

In reality, Ritsuka was reminded of the worlds she had destroyed in her previous life, and the countless people she had consigned to oblivion.

The act of taking another life had reignited the sensation of guilt from back then. Mash was instrumental in aiding her to accept this gargantuan burden, but since she was no longer here...

"_Just when I thought I got over it…"_

Venelana, seeing Ritsuka's discomfort, decided that this was not the way to resolve the situation. She attempted to divert the subject.

"Ritsuka… if you don't want to talk about it right now, you don't have to. Just… talk to us when you are ready, alright?"

Ritsuka dully nodded, bringing an end to the conversation.

Then, Sirzechs brought up the point he was struggling to understand yesterday.

"I know you don't want to talk about yesterday, Ritsuka. But could you tell us of the abilities you used to fend off Kaioh? I'm still not sure what powers you used, and understanding them could let us help you with their usage."

Ritsuka replied quickly, almost too quickly.

"I'm honestly not sure"

Sirzechs frowned.

"Does it have something to do with your magic crest?"

At this, Ritsuka seemed surprised for a second, but shrugged afterwords.

"What is a magic crest?"

"It is the pattern that looks like a tattoo on your body. It allows you to use the magic of its previous users."

Rias gasped.

"So that's what it was! I thought it was too weird to be natural!"

Rias had taken baths with Ritsuka frequently, seeing the Tohsaka magic crest many times before. She sensed the latent prana radiating from the crest, but did not know what it was. The energy was practically ignored by the young devil thanks to her own overpowering power.

Sirzechs, perhaps for the first time in his life, ignored Rias.

"Ritsuka, the fact you were born with it is highly irregular. Magic crests are the family magic passed down from each generation of a magician to the next. But it is not inherited at birth, instead manually given. The fact you had one when you were born is… strange to say the least. In this case, it also means that you are a mage."

Strange would be an understatement. Venelana had almost declared war on every human mage guild on the planet after she found the magic crest on Ritsuka's body. She thought that she had been the unwilling subject of some twisted sorcery, and that her newest daughter was implanted inside of her thanks to it. Thankfully, she never held anything against Ritsuka for this, and would still see her as a daughter even if she… wasn't, but it was a harrowing thought, to say the least.

Ritsuka reacted surprisingly well when it came to this revelation.

"Oh, so that was it!"

Zeoticus frowned.

"When I fought Kaioh's men, I think I activated something, that's why I was so strong. I think… I made myself stronger? And I also remember reading something about a sword in the library, and the next thing I know, it was in my hand?"

Ritsuka seemed to become a child once more, sheepishly muttering at this point, although everyone in the room could easily hear her words.

Sirzechs muttered.

"So I suppose my little sister is a mage then…"

He was not entirely approving of the concept. Even if Henrich Cornelius Agrippa, a member of his own peerage, was a mage, Sirzechs still could not be assured of such a thing.

Mages were… eccentric and too focused on their research. He did not want Ritsuka to become like them if he could help it.

Of course, Ritsuka herself knew this.

"Um… can we stop talking about this? I don't really want to use those powers again anytime soon…"

Zeoticus understood where his daughter was coming from. What kind of father could he be if he didn't? Even so, he had to suggest the plan that would end with the best result for Ritsuka.

"Ritsuka… one of the best magicians in the world, Henrich Cornelius Agrippa, is a part of your brother's peerage. He can teach you how to use your magic properly if you agree to it. This will help you become stronger in the case of another attack."

Ritsuka almost cringed when her father said the word "magic" so carelessly, but shrugged the feeling off. She was extremly torn between taking the offer and staying away from Henrich.

Unlike the rest of her family, Ritsuka knew the full extent of her power, and the monstrous prowess of her irregular reality marble.

However, she did not want her family to find about that power.

Because if they did…

"_Wait… why don't I want them to find out?"_

This stray thought disoriented her for a second before she understood how much sense it made.

Why did Fujimaru Ritsuka deny the knowledge of her previous life from her new family? She was not secretive in her previous life, and had no problem sharing information.

In fact, telling her family that a world-ending threat was imminent would actually benefit her situation more than anything, as it would give them ample time to prepare. The Gremory family had access to more resources than they knew what to do with, with the added ability to alert the whole of devil kind, perhaps the whole world of the impending threat.

So why? Why was she keeping this all secret?

"No! I don't want to take lessons! I want to spend all my time with Onee-chan!"

Nevertheless, Ritsuka had made up her mind to be secretive this time, and she would not compromise on that course of action until she gave it more thought.

Rias resisted the urge to envelop her sister in a warm hug, even if she was a whole table away.

Sirzechs looked downtrodden that Ritsuka did not mention him, acting suprisingly childishly.

However, Zeoticus, being the father of Ritsuka, could not help but scold her with paternal passion. This level of disrespect was not something that could be accepted in a renowned family such as the Gremory, especially not when he made an excellent point.

A day ago, he would have been perfectly fine with Ritsuka remaining the way she was. However, that was before the attack.

The fact that enemies were able to infiltrate devil territory and assault his children had made the father more than paranoid. Adding on the fact that his youngest had been injured horribly simply cemented that paranoia.

He wanted Ritsuka to be as strong as she could be to protect herself from attack. The fact that she was a budding mage simply added to that ambition. In fact, how could she possibly be so naive to think that she could be safe without any level of strength?

"Ritsuka! Stop being childish and think of the-"

He stopped instantly as Ritsuka flinched back, unused to her father's shouts being directed at her.

The girl looked as if she had been physically struck, orange eyes dull with hurt. Ironic, as she had barely screamed as her arm was grounded to dust.

Zeoticus felt weak, as if he could barely keep his body straight in his seat.

"_She looks like a chastised child…"_

However, Ritsuka was simply being immature. She knew that getting stronger would only be for her benefit… right?

Right, she was not seeing the bigger picture. She was being selfish, petulant, ignorant, and...

"_A child."_

And then, Zoeticus collapsed onto his seat in the likeness of a puppet with its strings cut.

Since when had he begun treating his four-year-old daughter like a fully-fledged devil?

Even if she seemed so mature, it was not a fair thing to do. Ritsuka was still a child, no matter how much her behavior contradicted the fact.

Zeoticus felt the icy glare of his wife on him, promising a private scolding at a later date.

Hee felt like he deserved it.

No matter how much he wanted Ritsuka to be safe, he just couldn't find it within himself to refuse her at this moment, not after all she had been through.

Therefore, Zeoticus Gremory did the only thing he could.

Give up.

"Ritsuka, we will discuss this matter at a later date. For now, you do not have to do anything you dislike."

Ritsuka's eyes brightened. She became cheerful in an instant, practically throwing her hands in the air in joy.

"Thank you, father! I can play with you even more now, hehehe."

Zeoticus shook his head, palming his face.

Venelana looked to hin with understanding in her eyes. She knew exactly what he had felt moments ago.

"_It seems that we have grown accustomed to Ritsuka being so mature, that we do not see her for the child she really is."_

That appeared to be the message she was sending to him. And he would have to say, there was not much wrong with the sentiment.

Zeoticus was silent for the rest of breakfast, brooding within the confines of his own mind. It would appear that he had a lot to think on for a while.

And with that, breakfast became normal once more. Ritsuka began feeding Millicas with a silver spoon again, and Rias grabbed a seat near them to talk.

Sirzechs Lucifer, upon seeing the child-like expression on Ritsuka's face when she interacted with his sister and son, could not help but remain silent entirely.

This was something he did not want to disrupt.

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Ritsuka, after finishing breakfast, grabbed Millicas by the hand and practically flew to the family garden.

"Mother! I'm going to play with Millicas in the garden!"

Her mother shouted,

"Be back by lunch!"

"I will, mother!"

And with that, Ritsuka practically stormed into the garden, Millicas in tow.

The Gremory garden was a beautiful place.

Built under the order of Venelana Gremory, the massive greenhouse-like construct stretched as wide as the eye could see, its flowers and plants radiating every color under the sun.

Flowers of red, yellow, blue, and more, tended to by dutiful maids who tended to them with care.

The bare sunlight touched every single one of these plants, its warmth welcoming and rejuvenating.

The white marble floor was embellished in patterns of beauty and symmetry, glistening in the sunlight.

Ritsuka and Millicas walked on this floor, the former dragging the latter behind her with excitement in her every action.

"Ah, I have to show you the nightshades today, Mil! I didn't have time to do it last time we came here!"

Millicas squirmed uncomfortably, his eyes trailing to the ground.

It had been a week since he had spent time with Ritsuka. For the delicate mind of the boy, that time was far too long. He did not know exactly what she did in that time, and he did not particularly care. What he cared about was that the person who he saw as an older sister had vanished on him out of the blue for a whole week, with no explanation at that.

For the young mind of Millicas, who was quite selfish at the time, it was hurtful.

The betrayed thoughts of "Where are you", or "Why did you leave me" often came to mind, but he was too old to cry about it, left to brood alone in his petulant rage.

However, even if that was the case, Millicas was still able to ignore all the light and petty contempt after today's breakfast.

He did not understand a word about "magic crests", or "magicians".

However, this did not mean the young Millicas was foolish by any means. In fact, his intelligence could be considered prodigal for a human, but above average for a devil.

During the conversation with his family, Millicas had recognized the body language and dark tones his grandfather and aunt had taken. It was quite frightening for a child who had never been exposed to that kind of mood before, but he was more worried than anything else.

The conversation seemed to imply that Ritsuka had been hurt, or that she was in danger. Millicas was familiar with these terms, as they were the same topics that appeared in the stories Ritsuka read to him every night.

Ritsuka told the best stories.

Like the tale of the valiant king, a righteous ruler with an order of knights by her side. The tale that inspired the young Millicas to always be just, and to always be fair to your people.

Or the tale of the golden king, a charismatic king with all the treasures of the world. This tale inspired Millicas to make friends at every opportunity, treasuring them above all else.

However, some of her stories were a little… dark for him.

Some of the stories had ended on cliffhangers, like the story of the valiant king. No matter how much he begged Ritsuka to tell him what happened after the unification of Britain, she continued to simply give him a sad, apologetic smile and refuse in a manner so kind that he could not possibly press more on a good conscience.

All of these stories told of conflicts, both external and external, and Ritsuka was not too shy on the battles she described.

And one of dark stories was…

"Nee-chan…"

The girl stopped walking and looked at him.

"Are you going to disappear forever, like the doctor?"

Ritsuka choked on her own saliva, almost tripping over her own legs.

"M-M-Mil?! What in the world gave you that idea?!"

In reality, there was no true correlation between the tale and Ritsuka's current situation.

However, a year ago, Ritsuka told Millicas the tale of her adventures in the Temple of Time. Without using names, of course. A few things were edited out, but Ritsuka was able to make it understandable.

She was desperate to share _something_ of her previous life, not wanting to be the only one knowing of her adventures. It made her feel… alone.

Unfortunately, Ritsuka did not edit the story nearly enough, something she found out the hard way after Velelana scolded her for giving Millicas a taste of existential crisis. She did not think that he would emphasize so readily with the characters, but he did.

He was also clever enough to grasp the concept of disappearing from everywhere, making him highly afraid of the fate of Solomon.

Millicas mumbled, fiddling with his thumbs cutely.

"I-it's just… you were talking like you were keeping secrets from everyone…"

Ritsuka's eyes widened in surprise.

Millicas was clearly too clever for his own good. He always was, even Ritsuka realized this. And yet, this caught her off guard.

She stumbled back, unprepared for those words.

Millicas seemed to take her actions as an affirmation of his conjecture, wilting meekly.

To liken Ritsuka's actions to the secrecy and actions of Romani Arachman, who sacrificed himself to stop Goetia…

She would be deeply vexed if the comparison was made by anyone else, as the memories that came with the reminder was not something to be brought up by someone who did not even know doctor Romani.

However, this was Millicas. Ritsuka had been with him for practically every step of his young life, and she thought of him as her own little brother.

A few ignorant words were not enough to make her displeased.

Therefore, she corrected the boy.

"No, no, no. Millicas, I'm not hiding anything big like that!"

The boy pouted sadly. He realized that Ritsuka had not denied hiding information altogether.

"But you _are _hiding something?"

Ritsuka's eyes grew grim for a second before she nodded solidly. She could not lie to Millicas. She was Fujimaru Ritsuka. There were simply some things she could never do.

"Yes."

Millicas shook his head in denial, not believing what he was hearing. He himself knew that the thoughts in his mind were childish. Therefore, the boy had expected that his outrageous claims would be instantly shot down, not confirmed.

"W-What-"

Ritsuka rubbed the little devil's head warmly,

"Mil. In this world, nothing is eternal."

The boy became fearful, his eyes glimmering with worry.

Ritsuka began to regret her words, but decided to continue her statement. The boy was mature enough to handle the information.

"Everything will come to an end. Not even the gods can escape such a fate. Therefore, there will be a day when I disappear. There will also be a day when you disappear."

Millicas's eyes widened in fear. Ritsuka inwardly winced as she realized that she had given the boy another taste of cosmic horror at such a young age.

"Then… then, you're keeping secrets? You… you're going to disappear?"

The young devil's voice cracked at the last word, his body shaking in fear.

Ritsuka grabbed his shoulders, steading the shivering boy.

"However! Just because everything ends doesn't mean it's going to end right now!"

Millicas winced as Ritsuka's voice became too loud. The girl quickly looked around, realizing the eyes of many servants were upon her. She instantly quieted down after that.

"Millicas."

The boy straightened himself, attention completely focused on Ritsuka. She only used his full name when serious, and that he should pay complete attention when listening.

"I am not hiding anything that would put me, or anyone else in immediate danger. I won't die, and I won't allow anyone we love to die. Understood?"

Millicas nodded, convinced this time. Somehow, he just knew, deep in his heart, that Ritsuka was being completely honest.

"I promise that I won't leave you until you're ready for it, ok?"

The boy held out his small hand, extending a pinkie.

"P-promise?"

Ritsuka, amused, smiled understandingly.

"Promise."

She hooked her pinky around his, sealing the small "pact". This seemed to reassure Millicas, calming him down.

"O-ok, Nee-chan."

Ritsuka patted him on the head, affectionately messing up his red hair.

"Good. Now, let's go pick some flowers."

Millicas smiled, his mood lightening again. The weight in his heart had been lifted, and everything was back to normal, at least that was what it felt like to him.

As Ritsuka dragged her adorable nephew across the massive Gremory garden, she couldn't help but feel an awful premonition in her gut, as if the peace and quiet she had nurtured for the past few years would soon be eradicated.

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Millicas had stayed with Ritsuka for the whole day.

Even when the former master had promised him that they would not be separated anytime soon, the young devil still clung to her like a newborn babe, desperate to ensure that her presence was genuine.

It was endearing, and Ritsuka was glad that the little devil showed this much compassion towards her.

Moreover, she was impressed with his mental capabilities, being able to decipher the atmosphere and words spoken at breakfast. Millicas would surely grow to be a fearsome devil indeed.

Smiling gingerly, Ritsuka brushed back a lock of Millicas' hair that was covering his face, hugging him closer to herself.

"_I've never had a younger sibling before. It feels… nice."_

Tucking the boy further in her covers, Ritsuka lied down on the bed herself, wrapping a short arm him to keep him close.

The sound of the young devil's adorable snores almost made her chuckle. It was just too adorable.

"_Yes, it's been a long day. Maybe I should just take a break now."_

Ritsuka closed her eyes, preparing for the next day to come.

The warmth of Millicas spread across Ritsuka's body, the natural heat coercing her to sleep even more than her own physical exhaustion.

And sleep, she did.

Ritsuka slept calmly and quietly for hours into the night, not even snoring or moving.

She just lay still, eyes closed to the world around her.

However, she was anything but blind towards the black shadow that seemed to be slowly approaching the bed.

Like a pool of darkness in an already lightless room, lit only by the scant amounts of natural light emitted through the shuttered window.

Moving closer without a sound, the shadow seemed to be intent on reaching Ritsuka, prepared to enact whatever nefarious purpose it was created for.

Just as the first tendril of the shadow pool was an inch from reaching Ritsuka's feet, her eyes abruptly opened in an instant, revealing twin shocked orbs, glaring down at the shadow in horror.

It was an instinct developed from her journeys, something that barely allowed her to avoid fatal attacks and hidden strikes in moments of false safety.

It wasn't good enough to be called an ability, and any attack with the sufficient speed could easily bypass it with utter ease. However, this little trick was more than enough to detect a slow-moving shadow hiding in the cover of night.

However, as slow as the shadow was, Ritsuka had reacted too late.

As soon as her eyes opened, the shadow had grasped onto her legs with a burst of speed, forsaking stealth for speed.

Ritsuka clenched her teeth as her legs sunk into the pool of darkness, feeling as if they were encased in malleable walls of slime. It made sounds like a real, tangible material, which meant that it was not a spectral ability or entity, but a real organism made of sludge that just happened to camouflage in the cover of night. The dark creature seemed to be rapidly spreading across her body, as it was now moving from her legs to her waist.

Instead of panicking when confronted by the surprising threat, Ritsuka's mind immediately began to think of countermeasures. It was something that she picked up extremly early in her Grand Order days. Back then, she had faced much more stealthy and grotesque enemies than a pile of black sludge.

It did not seem to corrupt, as the former master did not detect anything unusual inside her body. The dark _thing _was simply a restraining tool, something could be easily countered.

However, that only went for magi and supernatural beings. It was not something that Ritsuka, who only had a random bunch of new heirloom magic circuits could handle. Judging by the speed it traveled and the dexterity of its "body", the shadow was something the girl could not defeat.

Therefore, Ritsuka forcefully shook awake Millicas, who was sleeping next to her.

The boy rubbed his eyes, not used to abrupt awakenings. He was slightly angry at his sister, who he immediately noticed was the one who woke him up.

"Nee-chan! Why did you-"

Devils were not like humans, unable to see in the dark. In fact, they had near-perfect night vision.

This was why Millicas noticed Ritsuka gritting her teeth and struggling ferociously against a strange black slime that seemed to be consuming her from the legs up. At this point, the creature had already consumed her up to her stomach, but was unable to reach her arms. The girl had cleverly held over her head in an attempt to keep it away from the creature.

Millicas' mouth went dry as his eyes dilated in horror.

"Nee-chan! What is going on?!"

Ritsuka grit her teeth in frustration before turning to the young devil to inform him of the situation.

And then, the situation changed.

The girl hissed in pain as smoke began to appear from the slime, the scent of burning flesh permeating through the air.

The slime creature had begun to melt her.

Millicas was petrified in fear and revulsion, his small ruby eyes wide in terror.

"_What can I do? Nee-chan, Nee-chan is hurting!"_

And then, the young devil realized his own powerlessness.

He was Millicas, son of Sirzechs Lucifer. He had inherited abilities that many devils would kill their own families for. He had access to more privileges than he could explore in a lifetime. His strength and potential were so great that he had been declared a prodigy seconds after his birth.

So why?

Why couldn't he just protect Ritsuka, one of the people he cared about the most? She was someone who loved Millicas like a younger brother, always going out of her way to make him happy in any way she could.

Millicas loved Ritsuka like an older sister, he loved her just as much as his parents.

In fact, when the young devil found out that his aunt was just a human, he did not distance himself from her at all, nor did he behave any differently than usual.

No, that information only gave Millicas a desire to be stronger, to reach a level of power that would allow him to protect Ritsuka. He even fantasized about it sometimes, getting the girl herself to act in his skits.

He had told Ritsuka multiple times that he would eventually grow strong enough to protect her. She did not laugh or disapprove of the sentiment, only encouraging him on his path. Millicas himself believe that if any danger arose, he would instantly be there to rescue his beloved aunt from danger.

So why?

Why was he petrified as Ritsuka was in danger? Why was he so afraid of a clearly weaker enemy that he could not even move a muscle in his body?

"_I-I have to saver her! B-but how? That thing is. It's so-"_

Scary? Yes, in the cover of darkness, a sentient slime was indeed terrifying. Like a silent predator of the night, consuming all who crossed its path.

To a child, of course it would be scary. Adding on the fact that it was already devouring one of his loved ones, it was not surprising that someone as young as Millicas would become panicked and petrified.

However, Millicas himself could not accept it.

"_N-no! I promised that I would protect her! Move! Move, damn it!"_

And then, Ritsuka stared straight into Millicas's eyes. Her expression was understanding, as she could clearly see the dread and terror present in his eyes.

Gripping the boy's shoulders to steady him, Ritsuka ignored the acidic slime that covered her body up to her shoulders.

"Mil. Flare your aura. If you clearly display your Power of Destruction, then Nii-san will sense it. Understood?"

Millicas could feel tears running down his eyes at Ritsuka's current state. He stopped hesitating altogether.

Nodding wordlessly, the boy focused his aura of destruction around him, spreading it out as far as he could. The small amount would not damage Ritsuka, but it was enough to spread across the entire estate in due time.

And as the shadowy creature began to encroach on the bottom of the former master's face, the small door to her bedroom was completely blown off its hinges, a massive hole replacing the pristine walls that formerly encased the room.

Ritsuka did not even receive the opportunity to lay eyes on her brother's silhouette before Sirzechs Lucifer flew across the large room, his power completely obliterating the black slime in an instant.

Worried emerald eyes trailed up Ritsuka's damaged body, suffering from minor burn wounds inflicted by the creature's carnivorous nature. Charred flesh was accompanied by the damaged linen of the girl's pajamas, showing off her wounds for all to see.

Sirzechs' hands unconsciously glowed with a green light before he put them onto Ritsuka's wounds, healing the surface touched within seconds.

Millicas, seeing that the danger was over, buried his head in Ritsuka's chest, sobbing his eyes out at the conclusion of the nefarious event.

Sirzechs' face was unnaturally devoid of expression as he attempted to control his anger and outrage, but Ritsuka knew that it was for naught as she sensed his domineering aura.

For a while, the room was almost, quiet, accompanied only by the soft rhythm of Millicas' sobs.

Then, Rias and Greyfia burst into the damaged room, immediately followed by Zeoticus and Venelana. They all bore horrified expressions as soon as they saw the state Ritsuka was in. Rias immediately dashed to her side, offering soft and soothing words in an attempt to calm her sister's "pained" form.

The Gremory parents, instantly assessing that Ritsuka's injuries were almost healed and that the enemy was long gone, began to shower both Millicas and the girl with countless questions. They did not want to overwhelm their daughter, but the most important thing in the situation as to assess the threat and track it to its source.

And Ritsuka?

On the outside, the girl appeared to be traumatized by the event, her left eye twitching strangely.

In reality, she was angrier than she had been in years.

"_Twice. Twice! These basterds attacked me twice!"_

At this point, Ritsuka had begun to shake in fury. Rias seemed to misunderstand, and held her sister in her arms, patting the girl's back in a calming manner.

"It's ok. It's ok, Ritsuka. Everything's going to be all right."

This pissed Ritsuka off to the point where her magic crest began to radiate prana at an abnormal quantity.

It had only been five years. Five years since she was born. She was part of the most powerful Devil family in the underworld, and was blessed with an ever-watchful older brother with the power to rival the gods of this world. With this power, came security. With security, came a situation that promised safety.

So why in the blazes was Ritsuka almost assassinated twice in the span of 48 hours?!

Was this Alaya's attempt at chastising her for not acting? Was this Zeldretch's idea of a "prank" to keep her on her toes?

Ritsuka was not unaccustomed to the unusual. In fact, she had adapted to such a thing years ago.

This was why she was angry. Angry at the world for allowing such an unusual occurrence, and angry at herself for not expecting it.

If Ritsuka activated her magic circuits earlier, then Akeno's life would not have been in jeopardy. If she had used the abilities within her inner world, Millicas would not have had to almost watch her die.

Yes, Ritsuka was mad. Mad at her own stupidity, and at the world, for claiming that the act of spending time with her family as such. But since she was so accustomed to the world's unfairness, the girl was mostly frustrated with herself.

At this point, Sirzechs had finished healing Ritsuka's body, and had begun to soothingly ask her questions. The rest of her family was doing the same, and the still-crying Millicas was trying his best to answer.

Seeing the residual terror in his cute little eyes added upon the raving bonfire that was Ritsuka's fury, and she immediately got off the bed and walked out of the room to quench it.

Rias seemed to be calling Ritsuka's name from behind, the master was too deep in thought to pay her any attention. Nor did she have any thought to the fact that her clothes had been completely destroyed.

She headed to the bathroom without a word, hypothesizing of ways to unlock her magic circuits without her family knowing.

Turning on the sink, Ritsuka washed her face with soap, staring at her reflection in the mirror after she finished. Since she had to tip-toe to reach the sink, the girl could only see the top half of her face.

The former master came to a decision in that moment.

If she ever managed to find the person who orchestrated the attacks on her person, she would not show mercy. Even if it's the Ritsuka who detested killing for no reason, she would not be able to guarantee their life.

After all, they were the people who took away Ritsuka's precious time with her family. In this world, that was not something she could forgive easily.

As Ritsuka stared into the eyes of her reflection, the Tohsaka crest on her body began to burn with azure light as her unawoken magic circuits began to stir thanks to its arcane energies.

And thus, the Master of Chaldea made her first debut in this brave new world. A debut that was more momentous than the birth of a god.

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_How many years had it been? _

_How many years since the start of her journey?_

_A fragment of a greater whole, cast into a role that she did not even think was possible?_

_Countless years, countless experiences, cascading into a new life of wonder._

_Here, she was born anew._

_Here, she was loved._

_Here, she was supreme._

_However, the original objective had not been forgotten._

_The task she had been given._

_The person who was in need of her aid._

_The Master she swore to serve._

_**The woman she swore to love.**_

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**Over the next few days or weeks, I will probably do a lot of revisions on Ritsuka's origins and the prologue. If any drastic changes are made, I'll write them down at the start of the newest chapter, like I already said.**


	7. Awakening

**Ritsuka is not an accomplished magus anymore. The Tohsaka crest was lost with Tohsaka Rin when she died.**

**Rituska was born with a birth defect that ensured that her magic circuits were few in number and low quality, barely more than the amount of a normal person.**

**Ritsuka does not have Avalon. That was just plain stupidity on my part. I'm sorry.**

**Ritsuka can use Gandr with the Tohsaka crest, and projection at an extremely low level. As in a single punch from a servant with D rank strength can shatter her azoth swords.**

**The golden apple tree inside of Ritsuka's reality marble was just really, really, REALLY stupid. That is completely and utterly retconned**

**Ritsuka has a thousand magic circuits instead of 300, enough to rival a magic core. A mere 300 has been evaluated to not be enough to allow for her survival in DXD.**

**Everything is thanks to the Alien God/Beast VII, not the outer Gods**

**And sorry for the OOC Hades. I have not been able to find translations of the later volumes of DxD, so I'm sculpting his personality and abilities from a wiki page**

**And that should be all for now, please enjoy.**

A day after the strange slime attack, Ritsuka Gremory fell ill.

A strange fever, they called it. A sharp increase in body temperature that would threaten the integrity of her life.

Far above any normal human body warmth, Ritsuka's body burned at a temperature that far surpassed anything that could be conjured by a fever.

Her family immediately drove themselves insane when this happened, blaming the strange fever on her previous aggressor.

They assumed that it was a curse, or some sort of malevolent side effect from the slime's acidic attacks.

However, noone knew for certain, and the slime was not of a species anyone recognized.

A doctor was called in to check on Ritsuka and hopefully diagnose her condition, but the devil simply said that it was a fever and that, while unusual for a human body, it was nothing to be concerned about.

Ritsuka simply needed someone near her to continuously cast ice magic to cool down her body temperature. There was no toxin or virus attacking her body, nor was there any true disturbance. Therefore, the fever was useless, and if suppressed, would not cause any damage to the girl's body whatsoever.

Therefore, Venelana had taken the day off, acting as Ritsuka's living icepack for the time being.

Laying down on her mother's lap like the child she was, Ritsuka's face was strangely expressionless, robotic, even.

This was because of the fact that the girl had begun to open her magic circuits, flooding energy into them via the Tohsaka crest.

Every magic circuit in her body was extremely high-grade, and there was about a thousand of them to boot. Overall, Ritsuka knew that the process would take a long time.

For starters, it was not a painless ordeal. Opening a new magic circuit like she was doing felt the same way as ramming a hot iron rod into her body. It was not the way it was supposed to happen. Ritsuka had no idea how to actually do this properly, because of a lack of guidance in the subject.

Therefore, what she was doing could potentially damage her magic circuits and body for good.

Biting back the pain, the girl could only ignore the implications of such a thing. After all, she could be attacked at any time, so she had to be prepared at the earliest opportunity.

Therefore, Ritsuka made a decision.

She would take the risk.

If there happened to be any permeant damage in her body, the girl would simply use Heracles's Noble Phantasm, **God Hand**, to resurrect herself with a fully-healed body.

In the current situation, it seemed like the best thing to do.

Of course, this was definitely not the case, but Ritsuka did not have the strategic skills of Holmes or Da Vinci. She was never great at forming a coherent plan, and she would not become good at it anytime soon, at least not without the guidance of her heroic Spirits.

This specific plan seemed idiotic even to Ritsuka herself, but she simply could not imagine a better version. And she was pressed for time, which made her throw any caution out the window.

Sirzechs could possibly catch on to the fact that Ritsuka is consciously activating her circuits and confront her about her true origins. The girl hoped this did not happen, but if it did… then the result would still be better than being assassinated by a hidden enemy.

The most concerning part of the process was whether Ritsuka's body could endure the damage it would cause.

The brutal activation of her magic circuits involved the channeling of pure prana, with heat values that would surely destroy any human body in a prolonged amount of time.

Fortunately, Ritsuka's new body seemed to be extremely well built, capable of withstanding a large amount of punishment.

Hopefully, it would be enough.

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How much did the world want to torment his little sister?

This was a question Sirzechs asked himself as he paced across the confines of his office, features twisted into a frown.

Two days had she been attacked, and two times had her young body been subjected to pain no child should ever experience.

Even if the perpetrators of these acts were brought to justice, would Ritsuka's young mind ever be normal again?

Granted, the girl was never truly "normal" in the first place, but this was still something that concerned the Lucifer.

However, as fury-inducing as it was, these attacks were not the immediate threat.

Ritsula's strange fever-like symptoms were estimated to permanently damage her body if left unchecked. The heat was far too intense for it, and her cells would begin to degrade if it did not end soon.

Fortunately, the fever was the reaction of the actual process undergoing inside Ritsuka's body. A process that noone was able to decipher.

For now, the only symptom was the heat, which could be easily neutralized with a combination of healing and ice magic. However, the true process could reveal something much more sinister if left unchecked.

When Sirzechs first heard the news, he immediately assumed that his sister had been poisoned by her impromptu assassin. This was a theory that he still somewhat believed.

How could these strange symptoms show so soon after the attack? The timing was too coincidental to be anything but. What if the temporarily benign process was hiding something sinister?

What if Ritsuka's life was in danger?

Sirzechs had ordered multiple doctors to examine Ritsuka's body and soul using several different forms of magic and science, varying from different cultures and religions. He contacted his peerage and the peerages of his acquaintances for aid, and they answered.

Shinto, Norse, Egyptian, Christian, Greek, and Hindu techniques were all attempted to achieve a better understanding of Ritsuka's current condition… but all of them revealed that the girl's condition was fairly minor, and she was relatively fine.

In fact, it was as if something was awakening inside of her.

After Sirzechs examined the situation personally, he understood where that belief originated from.

The strange, circuit-like lines within Ritsuka's spiritual body were beginning to light up.

Like unused wires, a kind of power ran through them for the first time, and the heat produced was the reason for the girl's fever.

And to this, Sirzechs was perplexed.

The strange circuit system was something unique to Ritsuka, something present in her body before the attack even happened.

How could the slime have possibly poisoned her if there was no foreign presence in her body?

Perhaps something was lying dormant in Ritsuka, something that awakened thanks to the trauma she suffered in recent times?

Certainly a reasonable hypothesis, but it was not a thought that he wanted to dwell on.

Ritsuka was Sirzechs' little sister. For better or worse, his _human_ little sister. The signs of her birth always pointed to her being something more than that. Perhaps she would grow to be a hero? A god-like mage? A saint capable of granting the most incredible of miracles?

For any other member of his family, Sirzechs would immediately encourage them to step down the paths to those results. Millicas, Rias, even his distant relative Sairog Bael all intended to be the best they could be, showing intent to master their power for the sake of pride, tradition, family, and ambition.

They were aspiring powerhouses with more than enough potential to boot. Millicas and Rias, Sirzechs did not know if they could ever manage to surpass him, but both of them had the potential to reach the top-ten strongest beings in the world.

Ritsuka, on the other hand…

Her potential was completely unknown, and just the fact that something in its likeness existed was speculation at best. However, that was not important.

What was important was the fact that Ritsuka showed no interest in becoming someone powerful.

For better or worse, the girl was "normal", in the way a regular human was normal. She showed no desire for power, control, or anything of the sort.

She was content in the way things were now, playing with her nephew every day, spending her life surrounded by family and friends, and not much else.

When Sirzechs had playfully asked, "What do you want to be when you grow up", Ritsuka had answered,

"If I can stay with Nii-sama and everyone else, then anything's alright!"

Sirzechs had been the happiest devil in the underworld when he heard that, but he still treated those words as the adorable ramblings of an undeveloped child at the time. However, now that he looked back on that memory, there was a certain maturity in Ritsuka's eyes that implied that everything she said was serious.

He realized that it must have been an illusion his mind had conjured up to make the situation more monumental than what it was, but he still could not get it out of his head.

Perhaps she would change her mind in the future, but the Ritsuka of "right now" was someone who did not want to become powerful or influential.

She was someone who wanted to spend time with her family. Instead of dreaming about superpowers or adventures like other children around her age, Ritsuka dreamt about what she already had. Her only goal was to keep things the way they are now, as her current situation was a form of paradise for her.

But if those circuit-like things on her body were signs of a grand destiny, then Ritsuka's dreams would surely come to an immediate end.

After all, Sirzechs had met and befriended a multitude of prodigies and heroes in his many millennia of life. Not a single of them could stay with the ones they loved at the end, always falling in battle, dying of betrayal, or worse, becoming cruel tyrants who their previous selves would detest than even the worst of their enemies.

Hopefully, the power awakening in Ritsuka would not force her to become any of these things. She had never expressed the intention to be a "hero of justice", or anything like that. If she was not forced, then the girl would never leave Sirzechs' side, right?

Sirzechs began to convince himself that there was no possible outcome where he would lose his beloved sister. After all, the raging sis-con within could not help but to come to this conclusion.

However, deep within himself, Sirzechs knew that there would be a day where he would have to let his little sisters go. Even Ritsuka would not possibly want to stay attached to him for too long. There would be a day where the childish thing she said back then is revealed to be nothing than a badly thought out dream.

However, it would be a long time until that happened, and if he was there for her, Ritsuka would be fine even in her days of heroism.

Sirzechs nodded to himself.

Yes, the path of the hero was harsh. However, Ritsuka would not tread it alone. With her family, and most importantly, her wonderful big brother around, it would not be that bad!

Several more minutes went by as Sirzechs assured himself that the situation was under control. He cared too much about Ritsuka to not be worried about her future.

And then, after finally calming down, Sirzechs Lucifer realized the stupidity of his thoughts.

He was thinking too far ahead.

"_Why am I thinking about this? We don't even know what's happening to Ritsuka right now. For all we know, she could simply just be poisoned…"_

Perhaps the stress that came with the last two days was getting to him. His sister being attacked twice… yes, that would certainly unhinge him a little.

Sirzechs was simply getting too worried about nothing. That was all.

The devil covered his head with a hand. His mental conditions were extremely sub-optimal at the current moment.

Maybe groping his wife's breasts would give him some needed relaxation?

Sirzechs grinned at the thought for a second before becoming solemn once more.

No, not even the thought of his wife's breasts were enough to brighten his mood anymore. That was how serious the current situation was.

However, even if it was nothing to laugh about, Sirzechs Lucifer could not help but utter a chuckle at his own state of mind. Worrying about nothing was just like him when it came to his sisters.

Then, he was solemn once more.

However, there was no time for extra worry right now. There was no point in needlessly nitpicking aspects of Ritsuka that had nothing to do with her would-be assassins and current state.

Barely anything was absolutely confirmed, and taking barely-grounded hypothesis into account may prove to be detrimental to the girl's health. All Sirzechs could do in the situation was wait.

And wait he would.

Rubbing his head in a tired motion, Sirzechs let out a frustrated sigh that expressed more helplessness than he had shown for a thousand years.

He would rather be fighting a Hindu god than to wait and do nothing while the life of his family was in potential danger.

However, that was simply the struggle of a big brother. It was simply his burden to overcome.

And when this slight degradation of his mood and rationality was to be compared to the pain Ritsuka had been forced to suffer through for the past two days, it became clear that the devil was overrating his problems.

To brood and sigh over his own problems while Ritsuka was dealing with possible dealing with a deadly poison and lifelong trauma.

Sirzechs suddenly thought of himself as pathetic.

"_Ah. I truly am a devil. To think that I could have been so selfish."_

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It was a beautiful day outside. The trees swayed to the gentle breeze, dropping a multitude of green leaves as a result. Birds chirped as they flew through the air, occasionally landing on the roof of the Gremory estate. The magenta sky was host to a brilliant moon, enriching the land with its celestial beauty.

In this underworld inhabited by the devils of hell, it almost seemed like a heavenly place.

However, for a certain red-haired girl, the world was anything but beautiful.

Pale and tired, a young and haggard face worriedly peered down to an even more depressing one.

Rias Gremory glanced downwards at the large bed her sister lied in, wanting to do something, anything to better the situation.

The little sister stared back at her with an annoyed grimace on her face.

"What are you doing, Onee-chan? I'm fine. You should take some time to sleep."

"No, Ritsuka-chan. I'm staying here until you get better."

The statement was answered with mechanical efficiency, no hesitation in the older sister's words. It was as if the option of leaving the room did not enter her mind.

Ritsuka rolled her eyes in exasperation.

"Well, can you please sleep with me then?"

She looked up to Rias with pleading eyes, the same sort of expression one would use to goad a favor from an older sibling.

However, Ritsuka did not think this action as manipulative. How could it be when it was something that would only serve to benefit both of them?

In truth, the former master was in a state of absolute agony, her body burning as if touched by hellfire.

It took everything Ritsuka had to bite back the pain and speak in a normal manner. Any loss in control, and screams of pain would echo throughout the Gremory manor.

Ritsuka thought back to the times she had been injured in her past adventures. Being shot by mini Nobus, having her stomach penetrated by Shuten's hand. All of these experiences gave the former master a brutal lesson on the infliction of pain.

"_Never thought I would be thanking them, but those experiences have given me a lot of pain tolerance. God, I want to scream so badly. Mash… No, she's not there to comfort me anymore. Got to get over this!"_

With a ringing head and a scrambled mind, Ritsuka Gremory tugged on her sister's sleeve with a begging expression, her vision tainted with agonizing crimson.

Rias seemed to be conflicted.

"No… I can't sleep with you tonight, Ritsuka-chan. Nii-sama doesn't know what's happening to your body right now. If it's a contagious disease, then I'll get it too."

Seeing this, Ritsuka invested even more in her subtle manipulation.

"Onee-chan..."

Looking up at Rias with the most adorable puppy eyes she could conjure, Ritsuka tugged on her sister's sleeve, begging for her warmth.

Rias grimaced at this sight. However, the threat of the possible contagious disease forced her to keep her distance. It surely would not spread on skin contact, but perhaps bodily fluids would be different.

"Ritsuka-chan, I… I can't."

This was the charm of a little sister. Even though Rias knew that Ritsuka's wishes could lead to nothing but harm, she still could not resist it.

That pudgy little face simply made the task too difficult for her. Like a magnet of infinite cuteness, the crimson devil could not stop herself from being attracted to it no matter how much she tried.

Attempting to move away from her little sister, Rias stumbled backwards, her shaken form shivering in resistance against Ritsuka's begging eyes.

"Please?"

That adorable face seemed to shine with cuteness, sparkles of adorableness erupting from Ritsuka's eyes.

And thus, Rias Gremory was no longer able to escape the gravitational pull of Ritsuka´s childish charm.

Immediately hugging the small body of her sister, the crimson devil abandoned all reason and logic, throwing herself on the bed.

¨Only for a while, ok?¨

Ritsuka simply hugged the body of her sister with her little arms, her face buried in the devilś breasts. A wry smile was present on her obscured face.

_¨Sorry, Onee-chan. If you don comfort me right now, then I may start screaming.¨_

The pain of her awakening was great, almost too great for the master to handle. However, when enveloped in Rias´ arms, that intense burning was greatly dulled, stifled by the affections of the elder sister.

And thus, the sisters remained hugging in the bedroom, content with each other´s presence. Ritsuka would stay like this until the activation of her magic circuits was complete, which took two days.

Rias did not seem to mind, the body of a devil being fully able to stay awake for that amount of time.

The other devils were also unable to interrupt the siblings´ long session together, as they considered such a thing too sacred to stop.

Thus, the final master acquired full use of her magic circuits, her burden lightened by the compassion of her beloved sister.

And thus, began the dawn of a new age, a great age of alliances, organizations, and powerful threats beyond comprehension.

Beyond the scope of pantheonic factions. Beyond the boundaries of religions. Beyond even the authority of God. Such was the saga of Ritsuka Gremory. Such was the tale of the last and final Master of Chaldea.

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**I'm really not happy with how this chapter turned out, maybe I'll edit it sometime soon**

**Anyways, how are you guys doing in this time of crisis?**

**Personally, I got lucky. I don't have the virus**

**However, when my family forced me to go with another unnecessary vacation with them, I sure thought I would get it.**

**Oh yeah guys, going to the middle of nowhere for 2 months while interacting with hundreds of people on the way sure won't spread any germs!**

**Actual shit summer. The worst summer I ever had.**

**1 hr of writing time every day! Fuck!**

**Yeah, I'm kind of angry over this, as you can see. If I don't make any sense, that's because I'm just putting my thoughts on this doc right now with no coherent thought process so please excuse it this time**

**Anyways, I actually finished this chapter less than 1 week before the last upload date, didn't do much with it because I thought the writing was actual trash. Spent 2 weeks working on it and it was still trash**

**But yeah. I'm done with this one, and I promise you the chapter after will be uploaded by the end of tomorrow with over 10,000 words**

**And no, it isn't an empty promise this time**

**If the next chapter is not uploaded by the end of tomorrow, then someone has quite literally broken into my house and killed me**

**Well, the rant is over. **

**Have a good day everyone, and hopefully, we'll get over these concerning times together**


	8. A Dance With Death

In the dead of night, the silhouette of three figures roamed the Christian underworld, concealed in shrouds of shadow.

Stalking past buildings and leaping across rooftops, it was clear that these figures were practitioners of stealth, experienced ones at that.

Taking into account the deathly glares in the figures´ eyes and the weapons they carried on their bodies, it would seem that they were tasked with a mission of assassination.

The assassins sped across the night, covering city blocks in seconds. Gripping their weapons steadily, the cloaked ones tensed in anticipation, preparing to carry out their sinister task.

_**¨Leader. Are you sure that we have the right target?¨**_

These words could not be heard by any outside force, but thanks to the unique telepathic ability of these individuals, the other members of their group were able to understand them clearly.

_**¨Do you have so little faith in me, Lucius? These orders came straight from Lord Hades himself.¨**_

A vexed snort could be heard through the telepathic link.

_**¨But why would he ask us to do something like this? There is simply no reason for this kind of mission!¨**_

An angry voice responded to this outraged shout.

_**¨Lord Hades´ words are not to be questioned, Lucius! His wisdom is more than we can comprehend! To doubt his orders… who do you think you are?!¨**_

_**¨No, Lyra. I am not doubting Lord Hades´ wisdom. But don´t you think it would be better if he had simply told us why we´re supposed to do this? I mean, wouldn´t it be easier to complete the mission if we received more complete instructions.¨**_

_**¨T-That´s…¨**_

The silent leader responded. He too seemed uncertain.

_**¨Your words have merit, Lucius…"**_

"_**Then!-"**_

"_**However! These orders came directly from Lord Hades, our direct superior. We have no right to question them. To do so is a testament to your own disloyalty!"**_

"_**D-Disloyal…"**_

There were no words exchanged between them from this point on. Lucius had been chastised, but the other members of this strange party were both pondering his words in their heads.

Indeed, the orders they had been given were quite strange. So strange that not even the hardened leader of the team could truly accept it.

After all, why would the Greek God of the underworld want to kidnap a single human child?

_**¨Well, this kid is the younger sister of the Satan Lucifer. Maybe he wants to have her on hand as a bargaining chip or a hostage.¨**_

At Lucius´s assumption, his teammates remained silent.

_**¨And since she's just a regular human, there's no chance she can resist us or alert anyone else at her mansion.¨**_

The leading figure nodded his head in approval, as if proud of his subordinate.

_**¨Very astute, Lucius. Your skill in reasoning has improved since our last mission.¨**_

Lyra clicked her tongue through the telepathic link.

_**¨You´re too soft on him, Leader! You always defend Lucius when he messes up! Our reputation´s been dragged through the dirt because of him!¨**_

Lucius seemed to cringe back.

_**¨Damn it, Lyra! That was one time! **_

_**¨One time too many! We almost failed thanks to you! And even when we didn´t, our actions were discovered, which lead to a political fallout with the Shinto pantheon! Lord Thanatos was so disappointed in us...¨**_

The group remained silent for a moment, Lyra's words bringing back unpleasant memories for all three of them.

And then, as Lucius was about to finally retort, he was abruptly stopped by the leader.

_**¨Enough squabbling. We have reached the Gremory manor. From this moment forward, a single mistake on our part could lead to a war between Lord Hades and the devils.¨**_

Lucius and Lyra nodded their hooded heads, fully serious. They prepared themselves for their mission, abandoning any and all unnecessary thoughts from their minds. The trio were no longer friends or teammates, but soldiers with a mission to accomplish.

Leader reached into his dark cloak, pulling out an object that glowed with an ominous green.

It appeared to be some sort of key. An inch long, the sinister object had several spikes protruding from it, all other points lined with razor-sharp edges.

Explaining the effects of the tool to his teammates, Leader´s telepathic voice was hard and stern, signaling its importance to the task at hand.

_**¨This key is the reason we are able to invade the land of the devils without being detected, and it must be used to enter the Gremory manor, a place protected by a multitude of magic spells and circles. Lord Hades entrusted this sacred tool to us as a means to complete our mission."**_

The other two teammates nodded in unison, awaiting their leader's next words.

"_**However, Lord Hades has informed me that this key was given to him by a third party, someone who is collaborating with our lord to fulfill their own desires. And therefore, if this third party has betrayal in mind, we must retreat immediately and remove ourselves from the situation. Understood?"**_

This information did not sit well with any members of the group. After all, Lord Hades had entrusted them with the key and this mission, signaling that he trusted the third party who gave him the key enough to risk the lives of his own men.

However, the fact that he instructed Leader to fall back in case of a trap was proof that this trust was not absolute. Although the chance of it was low, the key was perhaps a trap that would alert the devils close to its proximity.

Such a thought was uncomfortable to the team.

It would not be a difficult task to escape back to the Greek underworld before they were caught by the devils. They were specially trained agents, masters of stealth.

However, if the key given to them was an item intended to sabotage, then the dangers were monumental.

A charm of binding, a curse that would reveal their presence for all to see. These possibilities weighed heavily on the teammates' hearts, each member suddenly glaring at the suspicious magic key with scrutinous gazes.

None of them were afraid of the prospect of death. Every one of them was prepared for torture. However, what terrified the trio was not such harrowing things such as pain or torment.

What truly frightened them was the simple fact that they were easily identifiable.

Unable to disguise their true nature, the agents' origin would be revealed by a simple glance into their bodies or souls.

And if such a tragedy would occur, it would certainly spark a war between the Greek and Devil factions.

After all, Sirzechs Lucifer cared deeply for his sisters. Some would say that he cared for them too much for his own good.

If he found out about this, then…

Lucius and Lyra shivered in their cloaks, faces suddenly pale.

Seeing this, Leader sighed, reassuring them in a gentle, yet hard tone.

"_**We are Hades's Grim Reapers, the swords of the underworld. And when acting in the name of our lord, failure is not an option. Understood?"**_

Two nods were the exact response Leader received, he sighed in relief and anticipation.

As if wreathed in shrouds of diligence, the three grim reapers advanced, reaching the gates of the Gremory manor.

Clutching the key in a tensed hand, Leader began to insert the magical device into the front gate.

Suddenly, layers upon layers of massive magic circles revealed themselves, a kaleidoscope of ethereal colors and images. They were beautiful to behold, enough to make the most hardened of magicians salivate at their craftsmanship and design.

These were the wards protecting the Gremory manor, covering it in its entirety. Tens, if not hundreds of layers of defenses that would surely repel even the most knowledgeable of mages. And even if they were broken, the Gremory household would immediately be aware of it.

The individuals capable of crafting such masterful sorcery could be counted on one hand.

"_Heinrich Cornelius Agrippa, the Bishop of Sirzechs Lucifer. He is surely the one who created this defense system."_

Indeed, it must have been the masterful sorcerer of legend. Having improved his craft through the bounty of an increased lifespan and a multitude of devil enhancements, Heinrich was one of the best mages in the world.

"_If such is the case, then who gifted Lord Hades this key? What kind of monster must they be to bypass this system with nothing but a magic item?"_

Glaring at the small object in his hand as if it were a bomb, Leader swallowed his doubts. There was only the mission. Apprehensiveness had no place in this situation.

And so, Leader turned the key, immediately bypassing the wards erected around the Gremory mansion...

Or so, that was what he anticipated.

As the grim reaper's fingers attempted to twist the key, he was suddenly met with great resistance. Attempting to pull it out of the wards, Leader was met with nothing but resistance. Inserting it further brought about the same result, and twisting the other way was just as futile.

"_**It's a trap!"**_

Releasing his hands from the key he assumed to be booby-trapped, Leader drew a jet-black scythe from within his cloak. This was a Death Scythe, a standard Grim Reaper weapon that would reap the lifespan of any creature cut by its blade.

Lyra and Lucius followed suit, arming themselves with their own respective sickles.

Seeing that his teammates were prepared for combat, Leader was about to give the order for retreat, if he had not seen what happened next.

The key so firmly lodged inside of the Gremory wards, floated from them in an instant, the now unrevealed wards disappearing in its wake.

And then, a second after, the key that floated mid-air suddenly disappeared into the night, as if absorbed by the shadows themselves.

Leader's eyes widened in shock.

"_It's not a trap?! Then what is going on?!"_

It would appear that the phenomenons he blamed on the key were revealed to be the actions of a third party. After all, it appeared as if some invisible figure appropriated the magic item and "collected" it in some way. That was the only way he could explain what had just transpired.

"_A defender? Since when were the Devils able to field soldiers capable of besting the grim reapers in stealth?!"_

Grim Reapers prided themselves to be the unseen sword of Hades, as unseen and hidden as the king of death himself.

"_**Leader! What do we do?!"**_

The anxious voice of Lucius rang through the telepathic link, forcing Leader to take action.

"_**We have no choice! Fle-"**_

And then, an unfamiliar voice invaded the telepathic channel, forcefully inserting its voice into the stream of thoughts.

"_**No, you will not flee. Certainly not from me. After all, you have yet to explain what you are doing here at such a time. What kind of weirdos are you, breaking into someone's house at night?"**_

The invisible entity's voice was the amalgamation of many individuals. Men, women, children, elderly. All of their voices were blended into a singular tone, a thousand mouths speaking at once.

Lyra clicked her tongue.

"_**And who are you to judge us?! Show yourself, coward!"**_

Leader's face flushed with anger. It was not wise to provoke the enemy, even less so to be provoked by them.

Attempting to divine the identity of their aggressor, Leader thought it wise to procure information from them. Meanwhile, his eyes swept around the field in front of the Gremory mansion, looking for any sign of the invisible figure's presence.

It wounded his pride as a master of stealth to be unable to see through the obscuring ability of some third-rate individual. While there were many methods of invisibility in the world, someone as experienced and powerful as a grim reaper would be able to bypass most of them entirely.

In fact, the only practitioner of stealth Leader was unable to locate was Lord Hades himself, after donning his helm of invisibility. Therefore, it was baffling that this mysterious individual was able to elude him.

Perhaps it was a trick, some sort of vocal projection perhaps? Maybe their body was not even present, and they simply worked through telepathy or telekinesis. The chances were small, but it was a possibility.

"_**What are you? A dog of the devils? A spy of some unrelated faction?"**_

And to this question, the figure replied playfully. It was as if they thought of the current situation as nothing more than an entertaining joke.

"_**Who knows? I could be the projection of a great god, observing you from a distance. Or I could be the last remaining member of a family of assassins, practicing an art lost to time. Or maybe... "**_

Lucius gulped, awaiting the answer he thought to be the most likely truth.

"_**Or maybe, I'm just a regular human?"**_

And then, two bolts of darkness soared through the air, finding no purchase in anything but the shrubbery in front of the Gremory mansion.

"_**You're toying with us!"**_

Lucius was angry at the hidden individual's tone. He had invested all of his dedication into the mission. To hear someone talk to him in such a playful voice... it was as if they were mocking his resolve.

His scythe was at the ready now, prepared to slash at the slightest sign of movement.

"_**No, I'm really not doing that. But do you really think I'll give away my identity that easily? Also, you're trying to kidnap a six-year-old girl. A powerless human, no less. Do you really think you have the right to judge anyone right now?"**_

Lyra clicked her tongue, unable to refute the hidden entity's statement without giving away her origins.

The grim reapers were still hopeful that their identities had not been discovered, since the entity had not referred to them by their species.

"_**Honestly, I expected more out of Hades. Seriously, kidnapping a little girl? Isn't that kind of weird for a guy who claims to be the 'god of the dead'? I mean, he's the one with the invisibility helmet, so shouldn't he be doing this instead?"**_

And thus, that sliver of hope was eradicated in an instant.

Leader cursed in his mind as he tried to reason with the entity. After all, the sheer undetectability of the thing would mean that there was no way they could eliminate it. And thus, the information it had gathered could easily be used as blackmail, enough to start a war.

"_**For what reason do you oppose us? I am sure now. The devils do not have someone as capable as you under their beck and call. Therefore, would it be so inconvenient that we complete our objective?"**_

Leader knew that the enemy had most likely been listening to him through his telepathic voice channel for a while now, learning quite a bit of information. He gritted his teeth in frustration.

"_I was careless!"_

However, as much he cursed his own carelessness, Leader knew that self-chastisement could wait. The current objective at the moment was that the entity did not leak their secrets. This was a task that was to be completed at all costs. In fact, it was even more important than his original mission.

"_**Well, it's true that I'm not under the control of the devils. But that doesn't mean I'll let you people steal a small child from her loving family."**_

Then, as his plea for a truce was crushed, Leader announced to Lyra the signal to attack.

Suddenly, a thousand strands of purple appeared around the grim reapers, every one of them capable of cutting through steel. Lyra's scythe, glowing with an ominous violet, was now held in an underhand grip. The female agent was no longer joking or impulsive. Her eyes were calm and collected, the gaze of an assassin gleaming from twin blue orbs.

"_**Well, I guess we can't resolve this peacefully."**_

Lyra frantically looked around her, searching for any sign of the enemy. However, there was no scent, sound, or killing intent that gave away the position of the entity. It was almost as if they did not exist at all.

Her attack that covered a large radius found no purchase, meaning that the enemy was extremely durable, fast, or they were simply not here.

And as the grim reapers searched for they foe like a predator hunting for its prey, the tables were immediately turned on them.

"_**I'll give you one chance. Surrender, and you will be treated well. I won't even leak your secrets to the devils."**_

Lucius snorted.

"_**As if we would believe that."**_

And then, a multitude of shadowy bolts filled the air, dark-colored projectiles exiting from the head of Lucius's scythe.

And again, just like the attacks of his teammate, not a single one of those bolts exploded against the body of the enemy.

_**¨What are you?¨**_

Lucius was angry and afraid. What was this entity, to avoid all of his attacks with such ease? He felt a shiver go down his spine. For the first time in centuries, the grim reaper felt that he would truly fail a mission.

Leader suddenly said to his team,

_**¨Run! We cannot defeat this being by ourselves!¨**_

He knew from experience that one´s proficiency in the arts of stealth often correlated to their combat strength. And if the enemy had indeed dodged his teammates´ hypersonic attacks with ease, it did not bode well for them.

"_**But Leader! If our identity is revealed to the devils!"**_

Lyra stated this as she swung her scythe in a massive ark, sending a slash in all directions. Again, there was no impact.

"_**You don't have to worry about that. No matter what happens, I won't reveal your secrets. After all, according to you, it could spark a war, right?"**_

Leader snarled.

"_So it has been spying on us from the very beginning? The situation is bleak. Even bleaker than last time. Even so…"_

"_**Lucius! Lyra! Get down!"**_

"_Even so, a mission from Lord Hades is absolute! We do not have the right to fail him!"_

Raising his scythe into the air, Leader's body filled with a wispy black smoke, his entire being radiating intense energy.

Seeing this, the other grim reapers dropped to the ground, covering their bodies with the dark cloaks they wore. They had seen this attack before. It never ended well for the opponent.

Leader's voice interrupted the silence of the night like the impact of a warhammer, his husky and aged voice revealed for all to hear.

"**For the sake of Lord Hades, you will fall!"**

And in the next moment, the stored energy within Leader's body exploded outwards, covering everything in a ten-meter radius.

"**[Black Bomb!]"**

This was Leader's signature attack, a method of restraining rampant mystic energies within his body, and releasing it in an explosion of absolute darkness. He lowered the radius to ten meters, but it seemed that the explosion could have been much more impressive.

There was a crater in the ground, extending for ten meters down. Anything further than that was untouched thanks to Leader's excellent sense of control.

"_Hopefully, the devils will believe that one of their own was up to shenanigans. Even if they blame this on an opposing faction, their gaze will never settle on the Greeks. We are not particularly high on their list of enemies."_

Lucius and Lyra got up from their positions, dusting off their tensed bodies. Lucius asked,

"_**Is it over?"**_

Leader stabbed his massive sword into the ground, taking a deep breath to regain his composure.

He looked around the scene, listening deeply to his mind. If the enemy was still alive, then they would surely be speaking soon.

However, as his eyes turned towards his left side, the grim reaper was no longer obliged to listen any further. Instead, he snarled hatefully, an expression of defiance on his face.

The reason for this reaction was quite apparent.

Right before him, a golden shield stood, suspended mid-air. Decorated by various designs and jewels, Leader had no doubt that this defensive armament was crafted by one of the best armorsmiths to ever live.

And behind that shield, there was a distortion in space, a piece of loose reality, taking on a vicious and water-like form. This phenomenon, similar to the shield, was also golden. In fact, it seemed that the shield was protruding from this strange distortion, fixed in place by a mysterious power.

"_That shield. How does this entity possess something of that quality?"_

Interrupting his thoughts, the voice spoke once more. This time, its voice was booming, echoing inside the minds of all three grim reapers, rattling their brains.

"_**I didn't want to do this, but it looks like we have to fight after all. Guess I have to remember to use the back of my blade~"**_

And then, a disturbing chuckle echoed through the minds of the grim reapers. Like a twisted spirit laughing at its own vengeful actions, the voice laughed without a clear reason, striking discomfort into the hearts of its audience.

The three grim reapers were frozen into place, the fear-inducing voice paralyzing their bodies and minds.

"_Impossible! I am a veteran of several wars! How could something like this! How could a simple laugh-"_

Just as the grim reapers regained control of their bodies, they noticed several golden chains behind them, exiting from more patches of distorted reality.

Slithering through the air like airborne snakes, the long chains quickly wrapped themselves around the arms and legs of the reapers, quickly immobilizing them.

"_**I… didn't think that my laughs would have such a great impact. Sorry, it was an inside joke. You wouldn't get it."**_

As the grim reapers struggled in their bondage, several more golden distortions opened around them, the heads of several golden warhammers protruding from the portals. They surrounded the cloaked invaders from all directions, covering all sources of escape.

Leader struggled in his chains, struggling like his life depended on it. In this situation, this might as well have been true.

To his relief, the golden chains cracked and strained under his strength. They looked like such masterfully crafted artifacts… did he misjudge their quality?

However, before he could break free of those abominable chains, the warhammers shot out from their positions towards him, faster than the speed of sound.

The same occurrence happened for the other grim reapers, Lucius and Lyra under the same danger as their commander.

In a last desperate attempt to escape his fate, Leader released some stored energy from his eyes, releasing twin black beams that tore three hammers asunder.

However, it was no use. The weapons flew at him from all directions. There was absolutely no way to deflect them all. In other words, there was nothing any of the reapers could do about their situation.

"_Lord Hades. Please forgive your miserable servants' failure…"_

And then, a multitude of blunt weapons converged on Leader's skull, bringing his consciousness to an abrupt end.

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Ritsuka looked tiredly at the three prisoners she had suddenly captured.

"_Uwah. Their cloaks look pretty cool."_

Shaking her head, the former master frowned.

It was fortunate that she caught the three grim reapers that invaded devil territory. If it had been anyone else, that would certainly be the start of a new war…

Thanks to the attacks on her person one year ago, Ritsuka frequently patrolled the surroundings of the Gremory mansion at night, vigilant for any possible attack. Of course, the family wards could have easily blocked any intruders from entering, and even if they did, Sirzechs would certainly defeat them with ease.

Even as she knew this, Ritsuka still went on her nightly patrol sessions. Perhaps it was thanks to a lust for independence, or simply to lighten the burden on her family. Truth be told, the girl did not know the answer herself.

"_I… might have just prevented a war."_

According to their conversation, the grim reapers thought of Ritsuka as a weak human child incapable of fighting back. However, with her reality marble opened, the former master was anything but weak. In fact, she had already defeated them with utter ease.

"_Ah. I'm glad I went out tonight. If they attacked me and Nii-san found out, then he would definitely wage war…"_

A wry smile on her face, Ritsuka thought of her elder brother, who would do ridiculous things to please his loved ones.

"_You're one of the leaders of a species… don't you think being so carefree is a problem?"_

Ritsuka slapped her forehead with a hand, rubbing her head with great vigor.

"_Ah! I'm so glad I stopped this! If a war really started because of it, then!"_

The girl shook her head.

There was no point in getting emotional about the situation. The worst of it had been prevented. Now was simply the time to repair the damage that had already been done.

Looking at the mess that had been made in her "fight" with the grim reapers, sweat dripped from Ritsuka's brow.

"_I can't do much about the damage without having my magic signature traced. Especially not that crater."_

For a group of supposed stealth operatives, the grim reapers were surprisingly destructive.

Ritsuka looked to the bodies of her fallen foes, opening a golden portal next to her.

"_Enkidu. You're up. Honestly, you're so reliable even when stuck inside the [__**Gate of Babylon]**__."_

The noble phantasm of king Gilgamesh was the reason Ritsuka was able to fight the grim reapers with such stealth.

The day after the former master gained usage of her reality marble, she had immediately taken on the attributes of Gilgamesh, looking into his treasury for a multitude of tools.

The first was the invisibility cap of Hades, an item of clothing that would grant complete protection against vision and magical detection. However, it could not block detection from the other four senses, such as touch, smell, taste, etc.

Ritsuka remembered playing hide and seek with Kid Gil in the hallways as he donned this cap. It was always bothersome to catch him when he put it on.

Thanks to the detectible nature of the cap, the former master was forced to go deeper into the treasury to find something to counteract this weakness.

After searching for a few minutes, Ritsuka finally found her desired object. Funnily enough, it was something she had seen more times than she could count.

**[No Face May King], **the noble phantasm of Robin Hood. It was a stealth item on the other end of the spectrum when compared to the cap of Hades. Instead of obscuring magical energy and sight, the cloak hid the wearer's scent and sounds.

Of course, this was not the true **[No Face May King]. **Robin Hood's noble phantasm was dark green, the same shade of green as the trees of Sherwood forest. Instead, this was the progenitor of that item. Its brilliant gold would soon be changed to a dark green. One would have to question the sense of its creator, coloring an item of stealth bright gold.

However, even with a questionable color palette, the item's effectiveness could be denied.

The progenitor of **[No Face May King]**, along with the invisibility cap of Hades. With those two unreasonable items combined, not even the Gods could detect Ritsuka's presence. It was an unfair combo that would drive any warrior to the point of outrage.

This was nothing short of overpowered, automatically making Ritsuka one of the best spies on the planet. Then again, she had access to King Gilgamesh's **[Gate of Babylon]**. That in itself was unreasonably overpowered.

Ritsuka, after donning the cap and cape, searched for an item that would obscure her voice, as she still wanted to communicate with others. What she found… was eccentric, to say the least.

A golden mask crafted in the likeness of a demon greeted her as she searched, as if beckoning the girl to wear it. From the memories in Gilgamesh's mind, this was indeed a voice-changer item.

As she put the mask on her face, Ritsuka quickly went to test this new power on Millicas.

She had no doubt she scared the poor boy, but it was simply for the greater good.

From the experience, Ritsuka discovered she could establish forced telepathic links with other individuals, or even infiltrate telepathic channels. It was certainly an item she would use in the future.

However, it was unknown if someone with enough strength could hack and corrupt the telepathic channel...

With this mask discovered, Ritsuka Gremory was prepared to finally enter the fray without the need to worry.

Perfect stealth allowed the girl to escape the attention of her family, and prevent recognition from her enemies. In other words, the girl now possessed the resources to enter the outside world by herself, and the power to influence the people and events that lay in need of her.

It was necessary to cement her position in this world as an influential power. Ritsuka's travels across the Singularities and Lostbelts taught her to be anything but arrogant. The girl knew that she would need allies to combat whatever threat there was.

This had been the case across every single one of her travels.

An added reality marble did not change this fact.

However, the former master did not know where to start in her crusade for recognition. Simply, she did not know enough about the current state of the world, and the parties that governed it.

If Ritsuka made her name known and aided a party that was considered evil by the rest of the world, then she would naturally be condemned alongside them. This could not happen. Fighting the great evil that would plague this world along with its inhabitants was a task that was impossible to accomplish.

And this was why, surprisingly, the presence of the Grim Reapers aided Ritsuka.

Their appearance had given her purpose.

Recruiting allies could come later. For now, it was time to address the aggressive party that had shown itself at her door.

"_Hades, huh? Can I really fight him?"_

Ritsuka planned to confront the king of the dead by herself. However, even she knew that such a task would be extremely difficult, if not impossible.

"_In the first place, how strong is this Hades?"_

From her six years of life in this world, Ritsuka was able to conclude that the gods did not have the authority they did in her previous life. Therefore, she knew them to be weaker than their counterparts.

There did not seem to be different textures in this world. Instead, there were different dimensions, some parallel to each other. Olympus, Asgard, Heaven, Hell. These were all different dimensions hosting different species and pantheons of gods and supernatural creatures.

However, it would seem that all of these entities were capable of using their abilities to their full extent anywhere in the world.

Therefore, instead of a clashing of different mythical lore settings, it would be more accurate to call this world a massive congregation of supernatural figures.

Ritsuka's previous world was like a senseless congregation of toys, scattered and illogical. A god of the Shinto Pantheon could not manifest their full power in the domain of the Greeks similar in the fashion that a round marble could not be perfectly integrated into a set of rectangular blocks no matter how many attempts were put into it.

The separate religious systems were far too different, the beliefs of the people too far removed to have any true meaningful connection. Of course, it was a different matter for demigods.

However, this world, unlike the previous one, was not an amalgamation of different toys, unable to be fully integrated into one another.

It was more of a mess of legos, a massive pile of blocks originating from a hundred different sets, but still belonging to the same system, the same rules. Yes, the colors and combinations looked strange. Yes, some pieces should not have been together.

However, since these blocks were all legos, the pieces from one set could be easily stacked and integrated onto the pieces of another set without problems.

It was a compound texture, a massive pantheon that covered the entire world, so large that it made the differing factions believe that they were far removed from each other, even when they were ridiculously close.

So far, this was what Ritsuka had hypothesized. She was sure that this theory was mostly correct, and that she must change her entire point of view to adjust to such an unreasonable world.

It was strange how Gaia and Alaya even allowed the existence of this place, but that was not a mystery the former master wished to pursue.

_¨Ok, so I know for sure Hades doesn't have authority over death. He´s not actually a god that controls death itself, but he might still get some sort of power boost from the underworld. For now, it would be best to think of him as a demigod."_

Ritsuka pondered the question for several moments before coming to a conclusion of the nature of the gods.

"_Hmm. I think I should think of these "gods" as powerful demigods rather than actual deities. It's possible that the only entities that could be considered actual divine spirits in this world are Great Red, Ophis, and the Christian God."_

Ritsuka's frequent ventures to the library bore fruit within the first day. She was able to find information on every faction and pantheon in the world, learning of their cultures, traditions, and abilities.

Amongst the books she read, three names always stuck out. Great Red, the Apocalypse Dragon. Ophis, the Dragon of Infinity. Dragon gods, famous for their power and unreasonable strength. However, the third name, the Christian God, was not known for power, but wisdom and compassion.

However, even when that was the case, Ritsuka confirmed that if there was anyone in this world she would guess was a real "god" on par with the ones from her world, He would certainly be the one to take that title.

Because of this, the girl had decided to be cautious against all three Bible factions. After all, the attention of this almighty God could be upon her at all times. It would be best to not to provoke him in any way.

Even if the wards surrounding her home was near-impenetrable, the former master would not allow herself to underestimate anyone who claimed to be the Christian God. Even if he was not omnipotent, being the only god in a monotheistic region must have had its perks.

This was why Ritsuka was actually glad the intruders came from the Greek pantheon. If they were angels or fallen, the girl wouldn't have known what to do.

Well, most likely, the same thing would have happened, but the result would certainly be much harsher.

"_Anyways, I have to figure out a way to confront Hades."_

This was easier said than done. After all, it would be difficult to even find the location of Hades' base, let alone seek an audience with him.

And even if she did finally reach the place, what would Ritsuka even do? Fight the army of grim reapers that would surely be there? Fight the lord of the underworld himself, who could possibly be dozens of times stronger than her?

Then again, maybe it wouldn't be so bad? After all, she was pretty strong now, right? This, of course, was fanciful thinking at best. However, Ritsuka still could not leave the situation as it was. Something needed to be done, but what exactly was that?

Then, as if coming to realize the contents of a revelation, the girl looked to the body of her defeat foes, a smile soon appearing on her face.

The cap of Hades unfurled itself from her head, wrapping itself around her hand like a silken scarf.

"_Yeah, This is definitely long enough to cover four people. Just what I need."_

The material of the cap suddenly wrapped around Ritsuka's unconscious prisoners like a snake, instantly obscuring their presence from all entities who sought to observe them.

"_How ironic, that I'm using Hades' own tool to oppose him… then again, this thing isn't really his, now is it?"_

Looking back to the Gremory mansion, Ritsuka grinned, a plan having already hatched in her mind.

"_I really hope the family library has a map of the underworld."_

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Hades' skeletal face grinned unwillingly at his right arm as he sat upon a throne of bones.

Looking around the inner sanctums of his shrine, the lord of the underworld was suddenly struck with a pang of boredom. He quickly shrugged this off, but the feeling was not completely gone.

Staring at a painting of his brothers on the wall to his side, Hades wondered if his goals were truly the correct ones. Clearly, he had too much time on his hands.

_¨The destruction of the Bible factions… is that truly the best course of action?¨_

Hades was a god that possessed an incredible amount of pride. He could not accept these factions, who he thought of as inferior, to exist alongside him.

They claimed sovereignty over the hearts of mortals whilst his own followers were practically non-existent. To the lord of the dead, this was a grave offense.

Of course, his annoyance extended to the members of other factions as well. However, the Bible factions faced his ire more than any other.

They were nothing but a bunch of filthy animals, corrupting humans into becoming like them, conquering the world through their ridiculous miracles and contracts. What a joke!

And if that was not enough, Hades' own siblings allied themselves with those same creatures. Zeus and Posideon declared themselves equals to those devils and angels, as if blatantly rejecting their own divinity, their own superiority!

And thus, Hades resolved himself to be rid of these annoyances that called themselves the Bible factions. However, his annoyance was simply that, a small vexation that did not come anywhere close to a deep scorn or hatred.

The reasoning was simple. It was inconceivable for someone as prideful as Hades to hate something he thought to be inferior to himself. It would be damaging to his character, and a blow to his sense of superiority.

With a domineering hand, the lord of the underworld sought to destroy the insignificant pests who dared to anger him.

This was the reason he had joined the organization of ridiculous upstarts known as the Khaos Brigade. The Dragon God Ophis would prove to be a good ally, even if her pathetic underlings left much to be desired.

Of course, there were a few members deserving of attention, such as the god of lies and trickery, Loki.

However, even if there were such promising individuals in the organization, it was an irrefutable fact that most of them were trash. In fact, there were actually devils and fallen in the Khaos Brigade, the pests Hades was attempting to exterminate more than any other.

But they were still useful at the moment, and their lives could still be utilized well in his plans. Therefore, he stayed his hand.

This fact was proven recently, when Hades requested for one of these "allies", to aid him in his infiltration of the Gremory estate. They had given him a magic key that was capable of just that. It would appear that the inferior organisms were not completely worthless after all.

Hades wondered how the team he had sent to the Gremory manor had done. They were only mid-tier grim reapers, but ones extremely well versed in the realm of stealth. If it was a mission of infiltration or assassination, they were even better at their jobs than some of his most powerful assistants.

And besides, a single human girl should not have given them too much trouble.

As for this girl, on the other hand…

The girl was an anomaly to him. At first, when Hades had received news of the Gremory family's newborn human baby, the lord of the underworld was not impressed in the least.

Sending his spies and infiltrators to reveal the secret of the child, Hades thought that she was some sort of unreasonable existence, a being possessing some incredible power.

But in the end, the news was nothing so exciting. While the phenomenon of two biological devils giving birth to a human child was nothing but absurd, the result was hardly interesting. After all, humans were naturally weak. Even those who possessed sacred gears were barely any better. Therefore, Ritsuka Gremory was nothing but a disappointment, someone the ruler of the dead should not have been concerned of.

This was also what Hades had assumed.

That was, until the great dragon god Ophis revealed herself before him, calmly asking the god to retrieve the child. She had said that the Gremory's pet human was "interesting", and "something that must be observed with her own eyes".

Hades' reaction was shocked. However, after he regained his composure, the lord of the dead decided that he would take the child for himself, to see what was so promising about her. After all, he was not obliged in any way to hand the girl to Ophis.

And if she happened to be unsatisfactory, a change of hands would certainly be in order. Perhaps he would give her to the dragon, or maybe to some other ally. In the end, it did not matter.

However, Hades still had enough hope in Ritsuka Gremory's usefulness. The way Ophis described her painted a picture of a domineering goddess, someone who would shake the foundations of all realms.

He did not believe this completely, of course. Perhaps an enemy mage was deceiving Ophic through mystical means, making her see potential that did not exist. Even so, Hades believed the dragon god enough to stake the lives of three grim reapers to carry out her request, not to mention the risk of a war between devils and the Greeks.

Hades would not lie to himself. He had his doubts about this little mission his underlings had undertaken. Even if he told them to be careful, the key offered to him by _that _devil could not be trusted. The grim reapers could only do so much against a trap, and if it was well-built enough, then they would surely be captured.

So, was this the right decision? Was it truly correct for him to sent his underlings to capture an important figure for the sake of a hunch?

It was clear as day that the overprotective Sirzechs Gremory would declare war without hesitation if he hears of an assault on his sibling.

The devil was powerful enough to take on all Hades' underlings at once and emerge victorious. In fact, Hades himself was the only member of his faction with any chance against the crimson devil.

Of course, this was the case if Thanatos's hostile grim reapers were discounted from the equation.

One of the three factions of grim reapers, the militant faction directly opposed Hades' every wish and goal, vehemently opposing him to the bitter end.

Thanatos, their leader, possessed enough power to call himself a god, and while he was not powerful enough to challenge Hades, the grim reaper would certainly take advantage of the possible war, striking deep at the heart of Hades' territory and claiming strategic victories.

Perhaps the traitor would even ally himself with the devils simply to destroy Hades' faction. Either way, this dangerous individual could not be underestimated.

Knowing this, the lord of the underworld almost collapsed on his throne, a deep sigh exiting from his skeletal mouth.

He began to question his original objective.

What was even the point of defeating the devils? No, it was more than that. What was the point of defeating any of the other factions?

Yes, they were annoying, but was it worth investing the lives of his own underlings? Was it worth risking a war capable of consuming his entire pantheon?

Perhaps Hades' convictions would be emboldened in the future, but at the current moment, the risk of his actions far outweighed their rewards.

Making dangerous alliances, playing dangerous games, provoking dangerous enemies. Every action of his was surrounded by all sides by possibilities of destruction or war. Every one of his decisions was deadly to the most ridiculous of extremes.

Hades was arrogant, but he was not foolish to think he could take on the entire world if his ambitions ever truly came to light, nor did he think that his "allies" would not abandon him the instant he became a liability.

Even Hades' own grim reapers separated themselves from his actions, forming two factions, one being directly hostile towards him.

And as the lord of death played this game of chess with the specter of demise, a singular word appeared in his mind again and again.

_Why?_

It was small, an infinitesimal whisper that the god himself could not notice some of the time. But when he heard that question, it was impossible to rid himself of it.

Even if all other factions were wiped out. Even if all heaven and hell were his to rule. Even if every enemy and ally lay at his feet, their submission ensured.

Even if all this were to happen, would it be worth the number of underlings he would have to sacrifice? Would it be worth all this effort?

At the current moment, Hades was a god who had access to nearly everything he could possibly want. An army of faithful followers was his to command. He was acknowledged by the world to be one of the ten strongest beings in the world, and for good reason.

All that was missing was his assured dominance. Dominance over all others. Dominance over the unworthy pantheons he refused to acknowledge as equal to his.

This dominance was a worthy goal to seek. However, it would hardly be a bountiful reward to sacrifice the lives of his loyal followers, who he could never hope to replace.

At the end of this inward discussion of input and output, the lord of the underworld rubbed his skeletal visage with an equally skeletal hand, exhaustion creeping into the pristine bones that made up his body.

"Pluto. How goes the mission?"

A massive shadow unraveled itself beside Hades' throne. Darkness gained shape, contorting until it stabilized into its final form.

A tall humanoid figure now stood next to Hades, clothed in dark robes.

The man's face was obscured by a clown mask, but his emotions were clear as day to the lord of the dead. After all, Pluto was the grim reaper most loyal to him. This specific subordinate was never able to hide anything from him, not that he would want to.

Now, the reaper's expression must have been extremely grim, anxious towards the result of his subordinates' mission. He too knew the price of their failure, and what it would spell for Hades.

"Lord Hades. They have not yet returned. Nor have I received a message entailing their location or state."

A pregnant pause filled the air. Hades' burning eye sockets staring into Pluto's obscured eyes.

"Most likely… we have been compromised."

There was no dramatic reaction, no internalized screaming. Instead, Hades simply felt calm inside.

"I see."

Hades had casted a spell of concealment on the team of grim reapers without their knowledge, a spell that would not be undone even by the likes of Hecate of the Greek gods. No devil would be able to see through it, and no trap would be able to reveal it.

However, Hades remembered that he did not know where that key given to him by the devil had originated from.

If it was from Ophis, then surely, his protections would be destroyed with ease.

It was another case of prideful arrogance from the death god. He believed that his protection was nigh-invincible, and this was his punishment for it.

He had not been expecting this outcome at the moment. However, since the topic of war had always been fresh on his mind, the lord of the underworld had made several precautions in the case of it.

Now, the answer was clear.

No matter how much he may have regretted his actions, how much he debated them inside of his mind, Hades would still have to follow through with them. There was no other option than to see through this path to the end.

However, there was one more thing he needed to be assured of. He already knew the answer to this question, but it was his duty to ask nonetheless.

"Pluto… are you prepared to fight by my side?"

Another pause filled the air.

"No, that is not correct. My apologies."

The grim reaper nodded. He knew his lord better than anyone. And he was already certain of the confirmation the god required.

"Are you prepared to die with me?"

"Yes."

There was no pause. In fact, the response was stated before Hades even finished his sentence. There was no thought put into the answer. Pluto did not even ponder over Hades' words. His answer was akin to an instinctual reaction embedded deep into his soul.

"I see."

Hades' expression could not be determined at the current moment.

"Then, what about the others? Are they prepared to die for me?"

Pluto lowered his head, bowing before his lord.

"Without a doubt."

Again, the answer was the same.

"I see."

For the first time in centuries, Hades felt the cold hand of shame caressing his back. A sudden pang of guilt entered the skeletal overlord's body, causing him to grit his teeth to the point where they almost fractured.

His followers, loyal to the core, were prepared to die for his ambition, his arrogance. And he would have to throw away their lives with reckless abandon if victory was to be gained in this war.

Hades did not think that there would be any true allies for him. The Greek pantheon would probably abandon him if they judged he went too far. In fact, they were not even led by Zeus anymore, but that upstart Apollon, who would never give Hades any special treatment.

Perhaps Hades would have to devote himself to the Chaos Brigade, maybe even beg for Ophis to bequeath him her power. No… it would never come to that.

The lord of the underworld was painfully aware of the fact that he did not just hold his own life in his hands, but the lives of his underlings. They would be the ones to pay for his mistakes. They would be the ones destroyed for his ambitions.

Therefore, perhaps it would be best to toss away that arrogance that plagued him so...

At this moment, Hades was willing to betray his own pride to win the war he had begun. The god's resolve had never been more profound, not even when he joined in his brothers' attempts to kill their father Kronos.

However, before the god could use the time to finalize that resolve, he suddenly turned his head to the right, locking it in place.

Eyes blazing with divine power, Hades stared into the space in front of him, his blazing orbs instantly identifying the entity hidden there.

"Enough of your arrogance! Show yourself!"

Pluto, comprehending the word of his liege in an instant, drew his scythe, positioning himself protectively in front of Hades.

"_**Wait, how did you know I was here?!"**_

Hades snorted through a skeletal nose, standing from his throne with domineering elegance. Ignoring the telepathic voice which intruded upon his mental shields, the king easily presented himself with class.

"I do not know where **you** are. However, I can clearly hear the heartbeats of the three grim reapers in your hands."

Pluto was suddenly ashamed of himself. Hades' divine aura had muffled his hearing, making him unable to detect something so obvious.

"_**O-oh yeah… superhuman hearing would be able to pick that up, huh? And here I was, trying to find the perfect time to reveal myself..."**_

The lord of the underworld pointed at the location of the hidden entity with a bony finger, his aura-enhancing skeleton staff appearing in his other hand.

"What faction do you belong to? The bats? The crows?"

These were lord Hades' nicknames for devils and fallen, refusing to acknowledge them as divine entities.

"_**None of those, actually. Although, if I had to pick… the humans, maybe?"**_

The skeletal was almost driven to the point of laughter.

"A human, capable of hiding themselves from my eyes? Do not joke with me. Who are you? Are you the one to defeat my agents?"

Hades instantly suspected the intruder to be an individual who was spearheading an assault on his shrine, someone to keep him occupied as the enemy army fought his underlings.

He almost ordered Pluto to exit his throne room and join the others. However, such things could wait until the current matter was resolved.

As someone who was now willing to abandon his pride, Hades did not want to take chances. If the intruder was arrogant to invade his sanctum, they must have had a good reason to do so. Perhaps this was an assassin specifically designed to kill him? In that case, it would be best to quickly defeat them with Pluto's help, then aid the other grim reapers afterward.

"_**Yes. I was the one to defeat your reapers. And I have to say, Hades-san. What you did was dangerous. If someone else found them, you would have started a war."**_

Pushing Pluto out of the war, Hades walked towards the direction of the heartbeats.

"You expect me to believe that the war has not yet started? Do you underestimate my intelligence to such a ridiculous degree?"

"_**I'm telling the truth. I told you already. If there's anyone I'm associated with, its humans. And most of them don't even know about the supernatural."**_

Hades snarled, eyes blazing with anger.

"Such idiotic lies! Clearly, you think me a fool! Release my underlings so we can begin out battle!"

Hades began to glow with a godly aura, his body radiating the essence of death.

Of course, he did not think the enemy would actually release his subordinates. He was resolved to retrieve them with force.

And then, as the lord of the underworld was about to start the conflict, three unconscious grim reapers were revealed, sprawled across the floor like a group of messy sleepers.

The female reaper, Lyra, drooled on the marble floor; mumbling nonsense with Hades' name within every sentence.

"Hades-samaaa~"

It was an event that withdrew almost all tension from the current situation. Hades could see Pluto slightly relaxing his grip on his scythe out of sheer surprise.

"What is the meaning of this?"

Hades took a step closer to his fallen subordinates. Even if they seemed to be physically healthy, there could have easily been poisons or traps on their bodies or souls. In the worst-case scenario, the reapers were nothing but illusionary clones and their real selves are still being interrogated by the devils.

As if sensing Hades' thoughts, the intruder continued to negotiate with him. It was almost placating. Even so, there was a certain type of steel in that voice that the lord of death could not fully comprehend.

"_**You can check them for abnormalities, poisons, bombs. Anything, really. There's nothing to hide. Remember, I don't want a war. You probably don't want one either. We have the same objective, in a sense."**_

Hades' hand curled around his staff with increasing tightness, his rigid skeleton shifting slightly forward.

"Pluto. Examine them. I will keep watch over you."

The grim reaper nodded, his hand glowing with magical light as he reached out to his underlings.

It was simple magic that many supernatural creatures could use. An examining spell that detects wounds, curses, and traps. Of course, since an Executive-class grim reaper was using it, this variation of the spell was many times more potent than the normal variety.

"My thanks, Lord Hades."

Hades firmly surveyed the area, prepared to send a blast of divine aura in any direction an attack could come from. He would not allow treachery from the other party.

A few seconds later, Pluto stood tall once again, his cloaked body as straight as a rod.

"There are no abnormalities within their bodies, Lord Hades."

Hades' spectral eyes widened, his mouth almost opening in shock.

Pluto was not an amateur at detection magic. Even a sacred gear, created by God, could not create traps that escaped his sight. Therefore, was the enemy of the few individuals in the world powerful enough to create such a hidden trap, or were they… actually telling the truth?

"_**Well? Is that good enough?"**_

Hades clicked his non-existent tongue.

"Pluto, this is taking far too long. Aid your brethren in the battle outside."

"What about you, Lord Hades?"

The lord of death chuckled.

"Do not doubt my power, grim reaper. Any worry you direct towards me is an insult to my strength."

The masked reaper nodded.

"Understood."

Then, Pluto immediately rushed out of the room, his shadowy cloak leaving behind a black streak of darkness in his wake.

"You… did not attack him."

Hades did not seem to be too surprised. He was almost amused, in fact. The current situation was one he had never experienced before.

An entity capable of hiding from him, a creature that mystified him. If the fact of the potential war happening outside was to be ignored, Hades would likely laugh at the current situation.

"_**Yeah. I already said that I'm not hostile. What reason would I have to attack any of you?"**_

Hades snorted.

"If you are so determined to show me your passiveness, then show me your face. It is not strange to be distrustful of an entity you cannot even see, no?"

In truth, Hades would probably not cease to suspect the being before him, but he wanted to know what species it was, and what power it may possess. The words he had just uttered could be taken as nothing more than bait. It was clear that the lord of the underworld only wanted information on his opponent, not peace.

The hidden entity seemed to have understood that simple fact. However, that did not stop it from ceding to Hades' requests.

Suddenly, the shattering of gold could be heard across the room, as grains of it parted and dissipated. Then, those particles glowed, immediately fading into nothingness.

"_Mana constructs?"_

And as the flakes of gold vanished into nothingness, the entity's identity was revealed.

The flaming in Hades' eyes transformed into blazing infernos, such was his shock.

For the entity-no, the human before him, was precisely the one he had gained such a profound interest in.

"Ritsuka… Gremory."

So proclaimed the lord of death, his expectations overloaded beyond their capacity.

And as the girl spoke to the lord of death, five times her height, the only emotion within those intelligent tangerine eyes was amusement.

"You should probably congratulate those three after we're done here. After all, their mission was a complete success!"

Hades found himself standing before a six-year-old girl, pointing the head of his skeletal staff directly at her face.

"_Disgraceful."_

Could he really call himself the lord of the underworld if he was so wary of a six-year-old girl.

He moved back the staff, pointing towards the now named Ritsuka with his free hand.

"How can a mere human… no, a mere child, conceal themself from me?! What is the power of your sacred gear?!"

Hades reasoned the only way the human girl was able to conceal her presence was because she possessed a sacred gear of immense strength.

The effect of said sacred gear was far too close to his own helm of invisibility, however, which automatically heightened Hades' guard even further.

A sacred gear's power originated with the entity sealed within it by the supreme deity of the Bible. It gave that power to an owner of its own choosing who has the potential to master it.

The limits and potential of a sacred gear rested with the ability and strength of the sealed creature, but also the diligence of the wielder.

Since Ritsuka was only six, she could not have possibly spent the years necessary for mastering such a potent weapon. Therefore, there was one explanation.

Just what had the Christian God sealed within that sacred gear?!

Not even the dragons Ddraig and Albion possessed the power to completely bypass Hades' divine senses and defenses, yet Ritsuka Gremory was able to do so easily.

The current situation was something the lord of death could not describe. In fact, it was so strange that he could not find the words to describe it.

"That power… how monstrous is the entity sealed within it? How could it possibly have the ability to evade my senses?"

The lord of death seemed to be shaken due to the sheer incomprehensibility of the situation. As he came to the realization that no event in his life even came close to the sheer absurdity of the situation, he could only let his skeletal jaw fall slack.

A sudden unprofessional thought entered Hades' mind.

"_Pluto will not be allowed to see this. He __**will**_ _not enter this room."_

Hades had observed the perspective from a neutral point of view, soon realizing the true horror of the situation.

A massive skeletal god, shaken and weary, pointed angrily towards the smiling form of a small child. Killing intent spilled from his every pore, mixing with his divine aura to create an intimidating and fearsome mirage of power.

It was a ridiculous sight. Lord Hades, one of the most powerful beings on the planet, prepared to unleash the full might of the underworld onto the small body of a six-year-old girl.

If anyone were to see him in this moment, Hades' image as the lord of the underworld would be irreversibly destroyed, shattered to oblivion.

Therefore, Hades slackened his posture, lowering both his arms. His menacing aura was dispelled in an instant, his eyes losing their burning intensity. This was also an attempt to calm himself, something that Ritsuka saw clearly.

"Girl. So you have come to my shrine with my followers in tow. I must thank you for your cooperation."

The other party was partly amused, partly confused.

"Un, Hades-san. What was that sudden change in attitude?"

The lord of death spread out his arms, letting his loose robes fall under them like the wings of a butterfly, exposing his bony arms for the world to see.

He did not hear to Ritsuka's question. It was a question too insignificant for him to answer. At least that was how Hades justified it to himself.

The three fallen grim reapers suddenly rose from the ground, floating towards the lord of death. They were soon lowered beside his throne, left in a messy pile of limbs and hair. It appeared Hades was a practitioner of telepathic sorcery.

"Since you are so young, I shall give you an opportunity to surrender and become my prisoner of war. However, if resistance is your choice, then the fact that you are a child will not save you from my wrath."

Ritsuka meekly responded,

"Um. What about the war?"

Hades' eyes flared once more, his posture becoming more aggressive.

"So there is a war?"

The girl vehemently shook her head, attempting to deny the claim in an extraordinarily adorable manner.

"N-no! But you were so convinced about it before, and now you're acting like it was never even mentioned."

Hades' became neutral, his words becoming measured and calm.

"I see. So there was truly no war. I was worried for nothing."

"Huh?"

Hades' expression appeared as if he was attempting to raise an eyebrow.

"That's it?"

The lord of the underworld snorted.

"I have lived for countless millennia, girl. During that time, I have long since acquired the ability to tell truths from lies by judging the eyes of any creature. I have not made such a mistake in a thousand years."

Still, the fact there was no war lightened Hades' heart more than he would have expected. It was as if he was offered a second chance, a new opportunity to better his rule. Many of his followers would be saved by the absence of a war, and his entire faction benefited from it as a result.

In a way, it was as if Ritsuka had fixed one of Hades' mistakes. This made the lord of the underworld slightly thankful to her, even if he would not quite admit it.

And that was not to say the original objective was not complete. Ritsuka was now within his castle, a prize placed conveniently at a location for retrieval. Hades had gotten his cake and eaten it too, all thanks to the effort of his own target.

It was strange to think about.

"The absence of the war has pleased me greatly. Therefore, I will treat you with hospitality. You will be treated in the likeness of a guest for the remainder of your time here."

Many thoughts had entered and exited Hades' mind.

If the grim reapers were not detected, then the devils did not know who is responsible for the kidnapping of their second-young member. Naturally, they would assume someone was responsible for her disappearance, but none of them would automatically assume Hades' involvement in the issue. Even Sirzechs Lucifer, who would surely be furious and rabid when he learns of this, would have no target to release his anger upon.

The situation was perfect. Everything had gone much better than Hades had expected. Perhaps the fates were finally on his side for once.

And this train of cheerful thought continued until Ritsuka pointed out the only issue Hades did not see.

"Um, Hades-san. I just came here to have a talk. I have to be back at the house before Nii-san and Onee-chan are worried."

The lord of death looked down upon the former master as if she were a… child…

"That will not be an option."

"And if I refuse?"

Hades touched the floor with the butt of his staff, almost leaning into it.

"You cannot. Your sacred gear lacks the power to defeat me."

Hades had come to an important conclusion. The sacred gear Ritsuka possessed must have been one that specified in stealth, seeing how she was able to conceal herself from him. This meant that he could simply use attacks that covered large areas against her.

Generally, stealth abilities were not useful in combat. It was a useful tool for an assassin, but the girl had already revealed her presence, completely nullifying the chance of a sneak attack.

Ritsuka sighed, an action that was not befitting of her child-like body. She appeared to be tired of something that Hades did not quite understand.

"Sacred gear this, sacred gear that! What even is this thing you keep talking about?!"

The lord of death frowned, his skeletal brows furrowing.

"There is no need to claim ignorance, girl. Your power can only come from a sacred gear. It is impossible for a human to gain such power without the aid of a magical beast or entity."

Ritsuka's eyebrow seemed to be twitching. She appeared to be annoyed.

Was Hades wrong? No, there was no possibility of that. The only way a human could accomplish what the girl had done was through the use of a sacred gear. He was absolutely sure of this.

However, what Ritsuka said next scrambled that certainty into chaotic confusion.

"I think it's faster to show you…"

"What are you babbling about?"

And then, showing an expression that clearly defined her exhaustion at the current situation, Ritsuka Gremory closed her eyes...

Arcane powers built up in the space around her, distorting time and space in a way that had never been seen before. The world seemed to end for an instant, shattering into a million pieces thanks to the sheer power of this outside force.

And then, as Hades watched in shock, Ritsuka Gremory opened her eyes; a magical chant, an aria, exiting her mouth.

"_**Anastasia.**_

_**Götterdämmerung**_

_**SIN**_

_**Yuga Kshetra-"**_

It was like a poem that had been abruptly stopped, an eldritch song that Hades could not comprehend. The god knew the individual words and their meaning, but he did not understand the context they were used in.

Each word held supreme power that not even he would dare to challenge. Each syllable causing the release of a burst of power so awe-inspiring that even Hades was enticed of their strength.

As if proclaiming herself to be the queen of reality itself, Ritsuka had uttered those words.

It was as if the girl had claimed dominion over the world itself, imposing her own vision upon it in the likeness of an artist painting over a colored canvas.

"_This… This is not a sacred gear!"_

The fresh scent of grass suddenly invaded Hades' spectral nostrils.

Suddenly, it was as if he was back with his brothers again, adventuring in his younger days. Nostalgia struck the god in the likeness of a mighty hammer that not even he could avoid. Reminded of so many precious memories, the lord of death could not help but mourn for the loss of that time, forever hidden in the annals of history.

However, he was also strangely happy, remembering those events in exact detail.

"_Ah… how much have I forgotten? How could I have forgotten all of that?"_

Such things went through his mind.

And then, as Hades finally exited his moment of remembrance, he found himself in a new world, a world that he would have never imagined before in his lifetime.

The scent of grass was stronger now, but not overpowering. It was comforting, a reminder of the time spent with his cherished friends and loved ones.

Now, the lord of death knew exactly where that scent originated from.

In this world of fantastic delusion, an infinite landscape of healthy green grass was stretched out before him, extending to the end of space itself.

It was a world of eternal night, with no sun to illuminate the beautiful landscape.

However, that was not to say that it was devoid of light itself.

Hundreds of stars shone brilliantly upon the night sky. Jewels that could not be claimed, only observed.

Each star shone with a different color, a different brightness, and brought significance to the strange world in its own way.

The congregation of colorful light illuminated the grass a shade of a beautiful rainbow, every color reflected upon those blades of green.

Amongst this field of colors, a girl stood tall, staring into Hades' eyes with the utmost confidence.

Her bright orange hair fluttered and blew freely in the gentle wind, her tangerine eyes glowing with a steady determination.

In those eyes reflected a deep understanding of this strange world the lord of death found himself in. it was as if the girl knew everything there was to know about this place.

No, that was not quite correct.

It was as if the girl was in complete control over the landscape, knowing it as well as the back of her hand.

And at that moment, Hades realized that he was not looking at a human, nor a child. The incomprehensible entity before him was an unknowable phenomenon, a creature possessing enough power to call herself a god.

No, that was not quite correct.

Hades did not know why he felt this way, and his pride would never allow him to admit it. However, deep in his heart, the lord of the underworld understood a very simple fact.

Ritsuka Gremory was far more deserving of the title of "god".

It was a strange; almost baseless feeling, and a bitter acceptance. However, the lord of the underworld had understood this simple fact from the bottom of his heart. No matter how much he may attempt to convince himself of the contrary; the god felt the cruel fangs of inferiority biting into his back.

In an instant, that strange world was gone, vanished without a trace.

Hades stood at the center of his throne room once more, facing that same human girl he had once seen as a powerless child.

As arrogance mixed with inferiority, as confidence melded with fear, Hades began to think irrationally, his mind no longer able to process information with the brutal efficiency it used to.

Even if there were enemies out there that were stronger than him, Hades would always think that he was superior in some way or that he had a chance at victory even when there was none. That was the only way for the lord of death to maintain his superiority complex.

And now, it was clear that the girl standing before him was indeed such a being.

He had seen the truth. He had understood that Ritsuka Gremory was not simply a mere annoyance. She was a world-shattering phenomenon, capable of causing irreversible damage to everything on the planet, or at least she seemed to be.

In an instant, Hades drew his staff, clutching it in both hands. The god's divine aura coated his skeletal body like a thinly-controlled veil. Energy seeped into his surroundings, causing the floor to crack and the walls to shake.

It was immediately known that Hades' entire castle was shaking. A massive, near-indestructible structure; capable of housing thousands, was shaken to its very foundations by the god of death's release of his surface aura.

That was the power of Hades, lord of the underworld, one of the most powerful beings in the world.

So why did he feel inadequate? Why did he feel as if any attempt to antagonize Ritsuka Gremory would end in a brutal, fatalistic failure?

After a mere second of pondering, Hades found the answer.

The stars had foretold his fate.

It was as if each one of those jewels embodied an entity of extreme power, like the zodiacs of the Chinese and Greek pantheons.

Hades could not explain it, but his mind saw the images of heroes, villains, and deities reflected within those diverse lights. They were surely representatives of individuals of great power, so great that the god could not underestimate them in the least.

Mere zodiacs could never hope to reach Hades' level of power. Or at least, that rule applied to the ones present in this world. Of course, the stars in that field of grass were extremely different from the ones he was used to.

The lord of the underworld felt overwhelmed by the sheer number of stars in that strange reality. While most of them were mere small fries to the great god of death, some of them actually radiated enough power to rival him; and others were so unimaginably strong that Hades simply could not maintain his confidence in victory.

"It seems that I have made a grave mistake, Ritsuka Gremory."

The only time Hades had encountered an entity of such power was the last time he had met with the Christian God. That unexplainable power accompanied by that strict aura of dominance. Even the dragons could not compare to her.

Surely, even the likes of Ddraig and Albion would fall before the monsters represented by those ominous stars...

No, perhaps only the top tier dragon gods and the Hindu gods were capable of bringing down this girl. The Christian God could do the same, but he has not been seen in thousands of years.

The current issue was not one that involved his petty war. It was not simply about the terrorist faction that despised the mythical factions.

The situation had developed into one which deeply involves all factions, one that no realm was capable of escaping from. The god of hell had discovered a threat he never imagined could exist, and immediately purged all thoughts of the pathetic faction wars out of his mind.

Hades had come to a conclusion. Ritsuka Gremory was neither a human nor a little girl. She was an agent of calamity, disguising herself as an innocent child to fool the foolish devils, using them to further her own agenda.

How else would she be able to hide that power for so long? Why else would she stay with the devils, allowing them to call her "sister"?

Hades had previously been annoyed by the devils, but now, he felt only pity. They were simply being used, and would merely be thrown away like dirtied handkerchiefs.

To the lord of death, power was a factor that determined how others acted and how they viewed their surroundings and underlings. The fact that Ritsuka Gremory possessed so much of it, while also viewing the devils as her family, was something that he could not accept.

If she ruled over them, if she claimed dominance over the devil species, then perhaps Hades could trust her. He was sure of it. The girl possessed the power to defeat the strongest devils with utter ease.

Yet, she did not use that strength to take charge, to lead her kind to prosperity and glory. She did not use that valuable strength to benefit the species she was surely a part of.

Therefore, Hades could only conclude that this nefarious girl did not care about the devils in the slightest. She simply viewed them as tools, valueless and disposable.

And now, the same nefarious girl had come to him with this offer of peace, presenting him with a peace treaty that sought barely anything of value from him.

His suspicions began to rise.

Why would she seek a peace treaty? Would Hades' intervention ruin her plans? Would her sinister objectives be ruined by the start of a war? Perhaps she was biding time, readying her army of brainwashed devils to fight against the world, and they were simply not ready for conflict at the current moment.

The possibilities were endless, each one more frightening than the last.

Consumed by his own irrational paranoia caused by the girl's release of power, Hades was beginning to feel fear for the first time in centuries. However, alongside that fear, a grim resolve rose as well.

His attitude had completely changed at this revelation.

"My previous offer has been rescinded."

The pressure surrounding Hades intensified, spreading even further from his body. His eyes filled with determination once more, the flames within them burning with ever-greater intensity.

Ophis was right. Ritsuka Gremory was an existence that could be rightfully referred to as a "goddess". The supreme goddess of another world, an invader from a different realm.

Human? What a joke! Her existence was so far beyond the realm of humanity that it was not even feasible putting them in the same sentence!

"You are a threat to the world that I cannot allow. You must not be allowed to exist!"

Even if Hades was a Greek supremacist wishing for the end of other pantheons, he could not be called a god of evil.

If the situation called for it, the god of death was willing to put his life on the line to protect the world. No matter how much he ranted and schemed to destroy others and benefit himself, he was still someone who cared deeply for his underlings, and by extension, the world they inhabited.

This was Hades, the Greek god of the underworld. And here, he would make his stand against the entity he saw as the next calamity, surpassed only by the dragon gods.

However, Hades would not admit defeat simply because the enemy is powerful.

Perhaps it was simply pride, but the lord of death had faith in his chance of victory. And even if he could not win against her, it was still better than simply letting the girl walk free.

Even if Hades was to die, that would only put all other pantheons on high alert, wondering who was powerful to slay someone as strong as him; thus strengthening the preparation of other factions against Ritsuka Gremory.

The lord of death bellowed at the top of his lungs, his voice reaching every individual grim reaper within his castle.

"**Executive-Class Grim Reaper Pluto. As the God of the Underworld, I shall impose upon you one final order! Gather all Grim Reapers under your command and leave this place! YOU WILL NEVER RETURN!"**

Hades, after making his announcement, looked to the form of Ritsuka Gremory, expecting to see the face of a great unknowable evil, an unmasked manipulator who had lost the need to hide their malevolence from the world.

However, he was met with the expression of a scared and confused girl.

"U-um… Hades-san?! What are you doing?! Why are you so aggressive now?!"

He did not answer the vixen's staged innocence, seeing past the child-like facade in an instant. Her acting was splendid, but it could not fool the ruler of the dead.

Darkness swirled within Hades' hand, contracting and twisting before spilling into the world like a heavy shadow.

In mere seconds, the world had ceased to exist, enveloped by the heavy darkness completely and utterly.

In this world of shadow, there was no up and no down. Both he and Ritsuka Gremory floated freely midair, gazes locked on each other in a realm devoid of everything.

It resembled space if all of the stars disappeared, leaving only an unfulfilling void in their wake.

"This is my dimension of darkness. In this world, distance does not exist, preventing all possible collateral damage. A perfect location for our duel."

The girl had not taken these fast-paced developments in stride. In fact, she was frantically looking around her, as if attempting to find someone to deescalate the situation.

Hades saw through that ridiculous facade in an instant. After all, if Ritsuka Gremory truly wanted to take on the appearance of a mentally-weak child, he would be able to smell the stench of fear on her.

It was that one element, that one emotion she could not replicate. And the lack of this key emotion was the loose string Hades pulled to unravel her act.

"U-um! What are we doing here?! Can someone explain to me what's happening?!"

"There is no need for your act. I have already seen past this pathetic charade. Perhaps that childish form of yours is able to form the spineless bats roaming about in my underworld, but it is not enough to conceal you from me."

Before Ritsuka could even voice her surprise, Hades continued.

"That was the reason you showed me that monstrous power of yours, was it not? You knew that I was a target to be eliminated, as I would have quickly discovered your true goals."

Hades' arrogance had made the god assume that she targeted him because he was the most threatening figure present within her life, and that she had come to this place with the express purpose of killing him.

Meanwhile, the girl was vehemently shaking her head in disbelief. Her false confusion seemed to deepen.

"Really, what are you talking about?! I showed you _that _because I didn't want to be underestimated! Is that power really such a big deal that you have to go completely crazy like this?!"

Hades did not respond. He had grown tired of talking. There was surely nothing he could say that could penetrate the false personality of his enemy. Therefore, it would be best to not waste his words.

There was a pregnant pause in the air for many seconds, broken by Ritsuka Gremory after she finally grew exhausted of it.

"If you really want to fight me, then it's not like I can escape. But for the record, I really don't want to do this."

She straightened her back, staring into Hades' flaming sockets with determined eyes. She seemed confident, rightfully so. However, reluctance was painted across that face, detailing the thoughts of a girl who did not want to fight.

Brushing this off, Hades swelled his aura, causing his dimension of shadows to churn and rumble in the face of its strength.

Presented with this show of aggression, Ritsuka Gremory's eyes suddenly flashed with a wave of light blue, her form changing in an instant.

Appearing in motes of blue, plates of grey armor now adjourned the girl's flesh, placed atop an azure wardress.

A majestic cape stretched from her shoulders, billowing in the darkness in the likeness of a raised flag.

Atop the girl's orange-haired head sat a crown of gold, the sort of crown worn by European kings, slightly slanted to the side.

In an instant, Ritsuka Gremory had transformed herself into a true king, majestic and proud. The demeanor of the innocent, albeit witty girl was gone, replaced by the form of a warrior-king, ready for war.

Hades did not marvel at this, however. He was far more concentrated upon the sword in her hands.

Shining with bright yellow light, the holy broadsword was by far the most splendid weapon the king of death had ever laid his eyes on. Radiating the hopes and dreams of countless souls, it was a sword that surpassed the concept of beauty, a weapon that could not be any more perfect.

**Excalibur.**

This was the name that echoed in Hades' head. It was a word that did not make sense, yet made perfect sense at the same time.

The holy sword Excalibur, crafted by the Christian God, had been shattered into many different shards. And even when it as whole, it never appeared to be so breathtaking.

No doubt about it. This was a different sword, a better sword. Yet it was still Excalibur. It was still surly the stone of king Arthur, ruler of Britannia.

Hades immediately removed this confuddling paradox from his mind. There was no time to focus on such things on the field of battle. He simply affiliated his confusion with Ritsuka Gremory's strange powers.

His mind had been compromised within that world of brilliant stars. It must have been compromised again.

"_Such unworthy trickery… it is not nearly enough to fool the ruler of the Underworld!"_

In an instant, Hades prepared himself, moving his body into a combat stance suitable for mages.

Ritsuka Gremory did the same, forming a classic overhead stance with her holy sword.

There were no words exchanged from the two combatants. The only sound Hades heard was the slow and calm heartbeat of his enemy, unlabored and unperturbed.

And in this terrain devoid of all, Hades studied the eyes of his opponent, the girl studying him in return.

They waited for each other to make the first move, neither willing to initiate the battle.

It was a classic standoff, two combatants studying each other with great intensity.

It remained this way for several minutes, neither side moving in any way.

Sweat had begun to drip from Ritsuka Gremory's brow, vanishing into the inky darkness of Hades' dimension.

After a few moments of further tenseness, the girl spoke.

"Hey, this is silly. Can we just sto-"

A blast of dark aura sped towards the girl at hypersonic speeds, catching her somewhat off guard.

Hades watched as Ritsuka Gremory held her sword in front of her, blocking the blast of energy head on.

She was actually pushed back, her arms straining under the pressure.

The lord of death was disappointed. That attack did not even require one-tenth of his power. Was that the extent of her might? If so, then he had greatly underestimated her.

Perhaps the girl could not control her power well, maybe that was the reason.

Hades teleported behind his opponent in a burst of arcane power, another blast of energy already protruding from his staff.

Such things did not matter. The lord of the underworld had already dedicated himself to this task. He would not leave this dimension without killing Ritsuka Gremory.

He had stopped seeing her as a mere child the moment she showed him that monstrous world.

As the blast of dark energy met the body of its target, it immediately shimmered and vanished into nothingness, find purchase in nothing but the darkness that surrounded the two combatants.

"_What?!"_

The girl's appearance had changed.

Her armor had transformed from that blue battle dress into yet another armored suit, one that seemed to be focused on protection of the arms and torso.

A flag was held in Ritsuka Gremory's hands, holy light radiating from it in the likeness of an incandescent torch.

Hades immediately understood the purpose of this change.

His aura attacks which had been so successful before met only steely defense, unable to penetrate the anti-magic protection of the girl's new form.

"_Very well."_

Teleporting behind the girl once more, Hades brought down his scepter with enough strength to crush a mountain, aiming directly towards the top of her head.

She swiftly brought that flagpole in front of the weapon, blocking the strike with every ounce of resistance her endurance allowed.

This was not enough, however. Once again, the girl's muscles strained under the pressure, her body being sent an entire kilometer away from the impact of Hades' blow.

"Haaaaa!"

Hades became disappointed once more, his skeletal features scrunching up in anger.

"Is this truly the extent of your power, Ritsuka Gremory? Is this truly the extent of the power that shocked me so? The power of the one I acknowledged as an equal?"

Truthfully, Hades did not think his opponent cared of his respect or shock. However, it appeared as if the girl was mocking him, unwilling to release her power in this battle.

It was almost as if she was looking down on him.

"Do you see me in the same light as those bats under your illusions? Am I also nothing but a mere pawn in your games?"

Hades had no doubt his enemy could hear those words, even from kilometers away.

Good. The lord of death did not enjoy being toyed with. It would be best for both of them if the girl could remove such foolish notions from her head. This was a battle between two gods of high caliber.

Hades has acknowledged Ritsuka Gremory as an opponent he would not hold back against. He expected her to do the same.

In the next moment, the king of the underworld smiled, knowing that his request had been fulfilled.

A red blur sped across the dimension of darkness, faster than Hades could see, halting right behind him.

The form of a determined child appeared where the trail of red ended, her raised fist glowing with intense energy.

"They are **not **pawns to me."

The punch was released, a massive beam of vermillion energy following its wake, shooting off into the infinite darkness that awaited it.

Hades had teleported once more, dodging the girl's blow. Now he was able to observe Ritsuka Gremory's new, mighty form.

Covered in a suit of golden armor, the child floated in the darkness on twin mechanical wings, releasing bright red energy from their bottoms.

It reminded Hades of the imaginary human contraption called a jetpack. One of his followers talked constantly about such things, so much that he was driven past the point of annoyance and into the territory of interest.

What he was seeing now was far more interesting than the jetpack his follower had described. After all, it had propelled his opponent towards faster than his godly eyes could track.

However, what piqued Hades' interest even more was the roman designs proudly labeled on the suit of armor. It was not distinctly roman, and the design was far too advanced to be something they had actually utilized.

However, the red and gold design accompanied by the grand and flamboyant plates. Surely, this was roman! Hades knew this within his heart. After all, he had been worshipped by those mortals. He knew them better than most.

By now, any feelings of apprehension Hades may have had was completely eradicated, replaced by pure and unpolluted battle lust. He wanted to fight this girl who was interested and terrified him so. No, he needed to fight her, not just for his own entertainment, but for the good of his people.

That just made it even better.

Ritsuka Gremory flew towards Hades, unleashing a barrage of vermillion punches, each capable of easily falling a lesser opponent.

Even Hades struggled to track the strikes, teleporting away and avoiding each one. As he did this, the skeleton shot many more bolts of his aura at the girl, constantly maintaining the range advantage.

There were many ways Hades was able to attack. However, in this situation, he was limited to only one. A more widespread use of his aura would surely not penetrate the golden plate of Ritsuka's armor. Therefore, he was forced to concentrate it into single shots of darkness, individual bolts that continued to miss over and over again.

The girl avoided the ranged shots with ease, flying around them, flipping midair and changing direction sharply. She was almost impossible to hit, impossible to defeat.

However, the same could be said for Hades.

He was still capable of teleporting with ease, avoiding each of Ritsuka's blows. She had not landed a single hit on him yet, and anytime she tried, he would simply be kilometers away, shooting hundreds of bolts towards her in an instant.

This was a stalemate, a situation neither combatant favored.

And just as Hades was about to rectify this unfortunate situation, he was unpleasantly shocked by Ritsuka's method of doing the same.

Whilst avoiding Hades' blasts, Ritsuka seemed to channel mists of darkness in her right hand, gathering shadowy wisps of smoke and releasing it around her.

The mist could not be differentiated from the darkness that surrounded them both. However, even as Hades teleported far away from the location, he still found himself within the confines of the radius of this spread.

He soon noticed that there was something far different when he was present in this foreign darkness.

He was unable to see Ritsuka anymore, not even with his godly vision.

Realizing this in an instant, Hades attempted to teleport away immediately, but it was too late. He had missed his chance.

"**Nine Lives-Roma **_**(Shooting the Hundred Heads - Roman-Style)**_"

And thus, Ritsuka Gremory claimed first blood in her battle against the god of the dead.

A battering of vermillion light, a hundred fists striking as one, greeted the skeletal body of lord Hades.

"Kuh!"

Shattering, breaking, smashing. Any word that could be associated with the destruction of bone and cartilage could be easily used to describe the current situation.

In an instant, Hades' ribs had been smashed in, a massive crater forming in his chest region. However, for some reason, not a single punch had struck his head. Not a single strike had shattered his spine. It was almost as if his opponent was intent on preserving his life.

"_What exactly is her strategy?"_

Was she playing with him? Was she simply not strong enough? Or… was she simply just that kind?

Filled with uncertainty, Hades grit his teeth and bit back the pain of his injuries.

Random shards of bone floated across the space of the dark dimension, particles of white interrupting the stillness of the darkness.

Hades vanished in a flash of blue, teleporting himself away once more. Clutching his ruined chest, the god of death widened his sockets, exclaiming in shock.

"Impossible!"

Hades knew for a fact that he was not fragile in the slightest. He had taken blows from entities capable of atomizing entire mountains in an instant. Ritsuka Gremory's punches did not pack anything close to that amount of force.

So why was he so heavily damaged from that barrage of strikes?

Coughing up more broken shards of bone, the wounded lord of death found his answer.

"That form… it is specialized to combat me specifically."

This was not a question. It was a fact that Haes believed with every inch of his being.

His opponent's current form was extremely specialized towards killing gods. That was the only explanation of the amount of damage it did.

Still, to do this much damage… it would appear that this form was on par with the strongest sacred gears

"Actually, it's just the Greek gods. Romulus is good at fighting gods in general, but there's no one better at fighting Greek gods than him."

"Ro… mulus?"

Hades' aura flared in response to this reveal.

"The founder of Rome. Is that the Romulus you speak of?"

The girl grinned.

"Yes. And judging from what I've seen, his specific set of powers will be enough to defeat you."

Hades snarled.

"Insanity. You speak nonsense. The man named Romulus, while possessing a powerful sacred gear, could never be compared to a true god! How could he possibly be specialized against us when he never possessed such an ability in his life?"

Hades was struck by that same sense of wrongness once more. His words screamed denial, but deep in his heart, he knew that Ritsuka Gremory embodied Romulus more than anyone else in the current moment. She was undoubtedly Romulus, he was sure of this.

However, Romulus had never donned such a master-crafted suit of armor in his life. Neither did he possess the power to counter Greek Gods.

And how would Ritsuka Gremory have his powers in the first place? Who was she to inherit the armor of this new "Romulus"? Was it from that world of hers? That strange dimension of stars?

"It's not nonsense, Hades-san. Romulus Quirinus, the man who reached the realm of the divine, represents humanity's potential to leave behind the gods and prosper under their own hand! That is why your power will never reach me. After all, the current "me" is the very conceptualization of breaking free of the influence of gods."

Hades did not understand. Like a child who had just been lectured on the finer details of calculus, he did not understand a single word that came out of the girl's mouth.

Humans? Potential? Breaking free? What in the world was she talking about?

To this day, humanity relied on the gods more than they could ever realize. The church, which dominated the world through its gifts of blessings. The mages, who occasionally used their mystic knowledge to aid in the ambition of their less-knowledgeable kin. The devils, fulfilling the wishes of unfortunate men and women.

Humanity was most certainly dominated by the supernatural in this world. This was why Hades could not understand the concept of "breaking free" of the gods. After all, this was something that humans had never tried, once in their existence. Even the so-called atheists often knew of the existence of the supernatural, calling upon the assistance of gods and devils.

So, what was this girl even saying?

"Your words are senseless, Ritsuka Gremory. There is not an ounce of truth in your ramblings."

Releasing a wide burst of energy stretching in all directions, Hades was able to knock Ritsuka back, buying himself precious seconds.

Using these precious seconds, the lord of death charged up a particularly powerful blast of energy in the tip of his staff, making the weapon swell with divine power.

Then, a blast with the width of several skyscrapers shot towards Ritsuka at speeds surpassing sound by far, carrying with it the strength to reduce a city to ash.

As Ritsuka was still recovering from the burst Hades unleashed earlier, she was not able to defend herself against this blast of deathly aura, taking it upon her armor with no additional defense.

Hades' eyes flared in victorious joy as he heard the sound of snapping and sundering metal.

This was followed by pained coughing from his young opponent, a large amount of blood exiting from her lips.

The attack Hades had conjured was capable of killing a god. Therefore, he was not displeased with the damage inflicted upon his opponent. If anything, he was disappointed that she was unable to evade it in its entirety.

"I'm… a lot more lame than I thought I would be."

Another stream of blood was coughed out from her mouth.

"Sorry, Romulus. I couldn't live up to your name, even with all of this power."

Hades immediately sent forth another burst of dark energy, ignoring the burning pain in his non-existent ribs.

Ritsuka's injuries had not affected her speed, proven by her instantaneous avoidance of the attack.

Hades instinctively brought a hand to his chest, his injuries taking a toll on his power and speed.

Now, both combatants were injured, their potential limited by the severity of their wounds.

Ritsuka began to rush Hades once more, but she was kept back with a barrage of aura bolts.

No longer as fast as before, several of the attacks struck the girl, destroying parts of her armor and creating craters in the remaining plates.

And as Ritsuka took the fifth hit without any protection, her left mechanical wing was blasted off completely. She was now only able to fly on one wing, not nearly as fast and balanced as before.

However, before Hades could let loose another aura blast, the girl's clothing changed once more.

The lord of death watched as armor changed to cloth, brilliant gold replaced with a bloody velvet.

Ritsuka was now dressed in a mostly-modern military uniform, a saber holstered at her waist. A hat endowed with an elaborate symbol sat upon her head, covering her orange hair in black and red.

A crimson cape billowed in the darkness, a single matchlock musket appearing in the girl's hands.

Hades was not particularly impressed at this change of costume, harshly stating,

"You have become weaker."

Before Ritsuka could even react, the lord of the underworld was behind her, thrusting forth his staff towards her back.

Hades expected his attack to be deflected, to be knocked backward throughout physical or spiritual means.

He did not expect his staff to pierce straight through the girl's chest, meeting no resistance in the slightest.

A pained scream rang through the dimension of darkness, lifeblood draining quickly from the girl's chest and mouth.

This positive miscalculation caused the god to falter for a moment, ripping his staff through Ritsuka's back.

"What?"

The girl, instead of falling, simply chuckled at Hades' hesitation.

Her now weak and husky voice was filled with the sound of victory. She seemed to be minutes before death, but her face had never seemed so confident before this moment.

Hades immediately went on high alert. He had realized that his opponent had lured him into a trap, a desperate gambit that put her life at risk.

The god's respect for the girl was outweighed only by his anger. To think that she would risk her life to entertain such a chance gamble.

Imbuing his staff with divine aura, the lord of death swung it in a vicious ark, intent on splitting the girl in half.

However, it was too late. He had hesitated for too long.

A white light shone through Hades' dimension of darkness, drowning out the shadows and the void.

In this moment, Hades had understood that the tides of war were no longer in his favor.

And as his eyes saw the world once again, as his skeletal body began to sense his surroundings once more, the lord of death experienced a burning pain far more profound than any other he could remember.

"HAAAAAAAA!"

The lord of the underworld burst into flames, every single bone in his body lighting ablaze.

"_What is this pain?!"_

It was as if he was being burned on a conceptual level, every portion of his very existence being simultaneously destroyed.

Falling to the ground in a heap of burning bone, the god of the underworld let out an agonizing bellow, shaking both heaven and earth.

The smell of ash entered his skeletal nose, smoke flooding into every opening in his skeleton.

Normal smoke could not affect Hades in any way, but this particular smog choked the god's body, smothering him in a painful embrace.

Like a robe knitted from vicious thorns, the smoke began to destroy Hades' body alongside the flames, doubling his pain; hastening the speed of the damage.

It took ten seconds for Hades to stop screaming. Two more for him to lift himself from the ground.

Shame filled the god's very being for exposing such weakness to the enemy, his anger burning even brighter than the flames that consumed his body.

Biting back the pain, the god of death bellowed towards the girl who had angered him so.

"**Ritsuka Gremory!**"

However, the girl in question had already seemed defeated, sprawled on the ground, blood pooling around the whole in her chest.

A gloved hand clutched the gaping wound, imbuing it with healing magic. The girl did not seem to be skilled enough to heal the injury, her efforts merely postponing the inevitable.

And this, Hades' anger drained away. After all, his opponent was just as humiliated as him, if not more so. How could he be angry with the enemy he had acknowledged as an equal when they were in the same state as him?

"I couldn't defeat you with Romulus because I was too weak to use him correctly. But Nobu? I thought her abilities would work quite well on your kind."

Hades attempted to take a step forward, his skeleton shaking rapidly. However, as soon as his leg lifted off the ground, the god fell once more, his weakened body collapsing from pain and exhaustion.

He could no longer use his magic and aura. His physical prowess had been reduced to an absolutely pathetic state.

"_Just what is this place?"_

Hades' eyes wandered around the new space he had been brought into.

This was clearly not his dimension of darkness. It was something far worse, something that targeted his innate divinity. No, not just his divinity, but his supernatural factors in general. The fact that Hades was unable to use magic further proved this hypothesis.

Japanese buildings burned around him, consumed by crimson flames the color of blood. The ground itself was dyed crimson red, burning to the touch.

The sky was darkened by scarlet smoke, not a single star in sight.

"Where… have you brought me?"

Ritsuka responded to him weakly, her face having become pale due to blood loss.

"This… this is a world that specifically targets the supernatural elements, burning them until they are purged from existence itself. It works extra well on divine beings, like Gods."

The two combatants had effectively immobilized each other, unable to move or to attack in any way. Therefore, they conversed with each other, trading words over mutual respect of the other's prowess.

"**Demon King of the Sixth Heaven**, noble phantasm of Oda Nobunaga. Not that you would understand what that means. It is the conceptualization of the destruction of divinity and the supernatural. The more godly you are, the more damage you will sustain."

Oda Nobunaga. That was the name of an eastern warlord, as far as Hades could remember. However, what was a noble phantasm? Was it the stars within Ritsuka Gremory's world?

"Is this your power then? Utilizing the abilities of past heroes to fulfill your objectives?"

King Arthur, Romulus, and now Oda Nobunaga. These were all human heroes from ages past.

Hades could make sense of Ritsuka's power from the abilities she used. However, those humans had never possessed these strange abilities in their lives.

While King Arthur was in possession of Excalibur, the girl used a completely different variation of the sword. While Romulus was indeed a great hero, he never possessed the power to injure and defeat the gods. And Oda Nobunaga… as far as Hades could remember, that man had never even come into contact with the supernatural.

"What are you, Ritsuka Gremory? Who are you to don the armor of Romulus? Who are you to wield the mightiest holy sword in existence? Who are you, to defeat the gods with such ease?"

Hades, at this point, had been mostly defeated. He did not feel like there was still a chance of victory. However, he wished to carry on this conversation.

"Hehe. I wouldn't say I defeated you with ease. But, I don't want to reveal any more information for now. After all, if I tell you too much, you'll know how to defeat me, right?"

The girl looked to him with eyes seeking approval, like a child expecting the validation of her grandfather.

"Yes. I suppose that is correct. It would be uncouth of me to inquire more on this subject."

Hades could never get accustomed to this burning pain, and he knew for a fact that his body was being slowly destroyed for every second that passed. However, his respect for his opponent had grown to the point where he could no longer accept mere apathetic combat.

He now thrived for understanding, seeking to converse with the enemy that no longer seemed so distant.

A straightforward attitude accompanied by a sacrificial gambit that almost resulted in her death. Perhaps Ritsuka Gremory was not the devilish mastermind he thought she was.

Combat had softened his attitude. He understood the girl's personality through her actions, and she no longer seemed as sinister as she first appeared.

"Simply answer one more question."

Ritsuka coughed up another blob of blood.

"What is it?"

"Do you bear any hostility towards this world?"

Ritsuka chuckled, as if she found his inquiry humorous.

"Quite the opposite, actually. I want to save it. That's one of the reasons I didn't want a war."

There was nothing but honesty from that tone. Hades truly understood in that moment he had been completely and utterly mistaken.

"I see."

Another minute passed in complete silence, the girl's injuries healing while Hades' worsened.

"So, what now?"

Asked the girl who laid on the ground.

Hades remained silent. He had already accepted his loss at this point. He was not particularly unsatisfied with it either. Pluto would surely take care of the grim reapers just as well as him. They would be under good hands.

It was the victor's right to claim complete ownership of the loser's fate.

And if the victor was the girl before him, Hades had no doubt.

He would surely be spared.

True to his expectations, the world of flames disappeared in a sea of dissipating particles, leaving behind Hades' dimension of darkness.

Ritsuka's military clothing disappeared with her crimson reality, replaced by a bloodied dress.

It was the same dress she had worn before the start of their battle, before she turned to hostility.

She now stood on her feet, the hole in her chest barely bleeding.

Hades no longer felt the burning agony of the flames on his bones, but they; alongside the strikes of Romulus, had made their mark.

"Ritsuka Gremory. You… are truly kind."

A charred skeleton, a multitude of craters clearly apparent on his body; faced a girl pale from blood loss, a bleeding hole brutally clear on her chest.

Two gravely injured combatants faced each other, each one teetering on the edge of death.

"Hades-san, can we stop this? If this goes on, then one of us is going to die."

She was not angry and confused anymore. It appeared that the girl learned as much from the god as much as he learned from her.

She now understood the kind of person he was, and exactly what his answer would be.

And the lord of death had expected every last word of it.

She truly did not want him to die, did not want anyone to die.

Shame suddenly filled Hades' heart once more, far more profound than in his time in the world of flames.

To think that he assumed a girl like this would be so malignant.

He had never been so idiotic in his life.

However, simply because Hades was idiotic, did not mean that he was without his pride. For the right reasons, the lord of death chose to believe that he would be willing to throw it away. But as he stood before this girl, the god was overwhelmed with the need to be the best version of him he could be.

Unbending in ideals, unfaltering in pride. That was the Hades that Ritsuka Gremory would see this day.

And that was the Hades who would surely die this day.

"It is never acceptable to leave an endeavor unfinished. I began this battle, and I shall be the one to finish it."

Hades regretted his decision to fight this girl. It was a shame.

If only he did not provoke her, perhaps they could have been allies.

Clutching his staff in both hands, Hades imbued his weapon with every last ounce of power in his arsenal.

The head of the staff took on the likeness of a black hold, so incredibly dense in divine aura that it began to form its own gravity, becoming a weapon capable of killing the world itself.

"Prepare yourself, Ritsuka Gremory. This will be our last clash."

The girl's eyes were covered by her hair, her expression unknown. However, Hades knew that she disliked the current state of things as much as he did.

"Yeah."

Suddenly, a brilliant sun appeared in front of Hades, burning through the darkness of his dimension with its majestic radiance.

As the sun faded, Ritsuka's new form was revealed.

Clad in enchanted golden armor, her back was covered in a fuzzy red cloak.

A golden spear, shaped in the form of an eight-pointed star, flared with purple flames, radiating divine heat.

The hold in the girl's chest had been burned shut, her complexion becoming colorful once more.

With eyes full of determination and respect, the child of the devils crouched into a battle stance.

"This will be the conclusion of our battle, great king of death."

As the twin blurs of crimson and ebony sped towards each other, the world itself shook; trembling before their might.

And so, the grand battle between the human and the god reached its zenith and conclusion, a great red dragon awakened from its apathetic slumber, observing them with one enormous eye.

"**Interesting."**

**IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII**

Pluto dashed towards the castle of his lord, desperate to aid him in his battle.

Hades' words were not enough to deter the grim reaper's loyalty. He would gladly accept any punishment that would come to him afterwards. It was still a much-preferred alternative than the death of his lord.

To order him to leave the castle forever… it was almost as if Lord Hades was saying his last farewells.

How strong was the enemy to force him to such desperation? Pluto felt shivers run down his back. He was terrified of the possibilities.

As the grim reaper burst into the throne room of his lord, he released his first uncontrolled scream in five centuries.

"Hades-sama!"

The room had become pitch black, shadows oozing from every corner. It was as if someone painted every corner of the throne room, dyeing it in inky ebony.

"The dimension of darkness? Is the enemy that powerful?"

Hades never utilized this ability unless he knew that the aftermath of the battle would be too terrible for the real world to handle. It was a countermeasure against particularly destructive enemies.

Of course, Pluto knew the way to enter this dimension. He could not be Hades' most loyal subordinate if he was not capable of such a simple thing.

"Forgive me, Lord Hades."

And as Pluto prepared to dive into the dimension of shadows, he heard a loud, stoic voice ringing from his ears.

"**Vasavi-"**

What was this voice.

"Is this voice… coming from the dimension of darkness?"

That was impossible. No voice was capable of piercing through dimensions.

Unless…

And then, Pluto's vision was enveloped with solar light, burning through the shadowy darkness surrounding the room.

"Impossible! How can light originate from the dimension of darkness?!"

"**Shakti!"**

Thus, the executive-class grim reaper of the progressive faction, found himself falling into the depths of unconsciousness, the burning light too strong for his body to handle.

As the pools of darkness shattered into millions of burning shards, Pluto reached for the skeletal back of his lord, who has appeared before him.

"Hades-sama…"

And then, as light shot through every pore of his body, the grim reaper fell into darkness.

**IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII**

Hades stared at the flaming demigod before him, having fallen to his knees.

Their clash had destroyed his entire dimension, releasing them back into his throne room.

However, that last attack…

"You spared me."

Ritsuka Gremory, now dressed in her non-combative dress, smiled at the fallen god.

"Of course I did. I don't like killing when I don't need to."

Her last attack, taking the form of an obscenely powerful beam of light, had pierced through Hades's dimension. However, she had not aimed at him.

In other words, the mere aftershock of the attack had defeated the weakened Hades.

"_I see. Such is the privilege of the strong."_

Most of Hades' bones had been blackened, and the ones that weren't had been destroyed.

Hades, having accepted his defeat for the second time, laughed, mocking his own powerlessness.

Ritsuka's mercy was not mocking in the least. She simply wanted him to live, solely because of the reason she did not want to kill.

Somehow, Hades felt far more defeated than he would have if she had killed him.

"There will be no war between us, girl. And even if there was, you have clearly won."

Ritsuka seemed troubled.

"But I didn't want to do it like this. I didn't think it would get this violent."

Hades chuckled. He almost felt a sense of camaraderie with the girl. Almost.

"That battle was my mistake, and my punishment. Now that you have spared me, I will not be fighting you again, at least not until you absolve yourself of that handicap."

"What handicap?"

Hades stared into the girls eyes, having to bend his head even though he was kneeling. He was simply that much taller than the girl.

"Your hesitation to kill. This defeat… is extremely humiliating thanks to this handicap. I do not want to experience such a thing again."

He had lost to a merciful Ritsuka. He had been defeated by her, fully intending to kill when she had never targeted his life. It was truly shameful.

"Oh. Then I hope we won't have to fight again."

The god snorted.

"Alright."

Ritsuka moved on, grimacing at the blood on her dress.

"So, what should I do next?"

Why was she asking him this? He did not have any control over her life.

Hades stood up, limping back to his throne before slumping on it exhaustedly.

"Go back to the devils. You have everything you want from me."

To this statement, the girl frowned, as if contemplating something. Then, she smiled with a surprising amount of mischief in her expression.

Hades did not like that smile.

"Do I?"

"What more could you desire?"

Hades did not like where this was going.

Ritsuka frowned once more, beginning to pace around the throne room at a quick pace.

Then, she stopped, as if having discovered the meaning of life.

Practically leaping towards Hades with sparkling eyes, the girl was a mere inch away from his feet.

"Hades-san. You know, I've been very lonely in this world, unable to show my power to anyone. You're the only person who knows how strong I am, and you don't seem to be a bad person."

"And how did you determine this?"

Ritsuka pointed to him, a more mature smile gracing her expression.

"I understand your personality from our fight earlier. Or at least, Romulus and Karna did. And according to them, you're not a bad person."

Hades was feeling that he would be experiencing a migraine very soon. The Ritsuka before him was not the respective warrior he fought in his dimension. Now, she was childlike, just like her body.

Hades _despised_ children.

"I think I went a little too far in our last fight. I'm not used to fighting gods, you see, and I revealed some information I shouldn't have. But since you know it already, I'll just forget about it for now."

She walked a step closer to the god, uncaring of his menacing glare.

"But still, I don't want you giving my information to other parties, nor do I want this relationship we established to go to waste."

Hades snorted in scorn.

"There is no such thing. And do you think I am so honourless? Your secrets are safe with me, as long as you do not move against me that is."

"Yeah, I understand. Still, it's a waste to let this potential partnership go to waste."

Hades relented. This girl was impossible to convince. Physical force would only be counterproductive too. In other words, he could only hear her out. There was no other option.

"And what does this 'partnership' entail?"

Ritsuka frowned again, contemplating his words again.

"I'll think about that later. For now, I just have one request. You just have to join me, and if you dislike our partnership later, then you can just drop out."

Hades wanted to break his one throne to pieces.

The girl was actually giving him a choice. Possessing absolute power over him, she could easily kill him, or force him to accept whatever pact she wanted. He was defeated, after all.

She was a winner, and he was a loser. Therefore, she had the right to claim his support for her own.

However, she would not do this. The girl was completely intent on giving him a choice. Even when it would be better to use force, even when it would be better to simply kill him here and now, Ritsuka Gremory would give him a choice to join her.

Her kindness was just as childish as her body.

Still, Hades did not think that was a bad thing. Not for his impression of her, nor for his goals.

Making an alliance with Ritsuka would only be beneficial to Hades, since the girl's kindness would prevent her from requesting something too harsh from him.

He would also gain an absolute powerhouse on his side, capable of defeating him.

Was this not a wonderful situation?

Hades swiftly came to the realization that Ritsuka Gremory had suddenly become the best partner to have.

And when it came down to it, he would either betray Ritsuka for the Khaos Brigade, or vice versa.

Compared to the Gremory, every member of the Brigade was worthless except for Ophis.

Therefore, as long as he did not betray any of these two, as long as he stayed relatively neutral, Hades would have the support of these two extremely powerful individuals on his side.

For the first time in centuries, Hades seriously contemplated the idea of conquering the world.

"So, what will be the name of our alliance?"

Ritsuka seemed to be surprised at his eagerness, although she was not suspicious.

"You decided that fast?"

Hades grinned.

"Let us just say that I have recognized the advantages that would come with such a thing."

"Alright, I understand."

Ritsuka did not seem to understand, but she pretended to. This was apparent to Hades.

"So, what shall be the title of our newfound partnership?"

He repeated the question.

Ritsuka began to contemplate again, her brows furrowing in thought.

It was not until five minutes later that she came to a conclusion, much to the god of death's annoyance.

And as she spoke the name of their alliance, Hades noticed that the girl's face was filled with sadness and nostalgia, similar to his own when he remembered his brothers.

And thus, began the organization that would become the greatest in the world, led by the last and final master of another world, here to save the current one.

It was not a humble beginning. After all, what organization began by accepting the god of death as their first member?

Well, if there was any group of people that would do something so insane, accomplish something considered to be so impossible, it was them.

The stalwart slayers of Goetia.

The grim destroyers of worlds.

The boisterous gathering of heroes who saved the world.

And the people Fujimaru Ritsuka called family, the ones she would never let go of.

"Chaldea. The Chaldea Security Organization. That is what we will call ourselves."

**20000 words**

**74 pages**

**This is the longest chapter I've ever written for anything**

**Not much of an apology for my unfortunate hiatus, but it's something**

**I didn't want to make the story so high-paced, but I legitimately couldn't think of anything filler to put before this chapter**

**But yeah, I definitely have pacing issues, no excuses**


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